Toffee Caramel Coffee

The temperatures are finally starting to get cooler here, and to me that means cozy evenings snuggled up in a blanket with a good book and a nice warm drink.  I’ve been playing around with lots of new sweet beverages for my next cookbook (which will be ready by early December!), and I decided to share one of my favorites with my dear blog readers!  If you like this one, be sure to order one of my cookbooks when they are ready!

Toffee Caramel Coffee

• 6 oz. hot coffee
• 1 tbsp caramel ice cream syrup (or your favorite caramel sauce)
• 1 tbsp toffee bits
• whipped cream
• caramel syrup for drizzling
• toffee bits for sprinkling

Stir toffee bits into hot coffee and let sit for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Strain to remove any remaining toffee pieces; pour into mug.  Stir 1 tbsp caramel syrup into coffee.  Top with whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel syrup, and a sprinkle of toffee bits.

 

Caramel Latte No-Churn Ice Cream

After making that delicious Brownie Batter Ice Cream a few days ago, the ideas have been turning in my head with other flavors to try.  The first thought that popped in my head is my favorite coffee drink – the caramel latte.  Yes.  I must do this.  If you need an excuse to get more caffeine in your system, give this simple ice cream a try!   (There are more No-Churn ice cream recipes coming in the next few days!!!)

 

Caramel Latte No-Churn Ice Cream

Caramel:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup milk

Ice Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup instant coffee
• Caramel (from above)

Prepare the caramel by cooking sugar in a saucepan until golden brown.  Add butter and stir.  Stir in the cream, and then the milk.  Let cool completely.

Whip heavy cream in a bowl.  In seperate bowl, combine milk, sweetened condensed milk, and instant coffee until smooth.  Fold in whipped cream.  Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and freeze overnight.

 

Skinny Caramel Iced Coffee

I don’t really like coffee.  I love coffee flavored things – like coffee ice cream.  I love fancy-shmancy coffee drinks that taste more like caramel than coffee.  Caramel is my best friend.  When I go to the local coffee shop, I almost always order an Iced Caramel Latte – my absolute most favoritest drink of all time.  I actually used to work at said coffee shop, so I know how to make a mean Iced Caramel Latte.  My husband even bought me a small espresso machine at Christmas so I could make my own at home.  But, I know that not everyone has their own espresso machine.  And I love you, my dear readers, enough that I wanted to share with you how to make my absolute most favoritest drink of all time even if you don’t have an espresso machine.  So now you can be like me and drink Caramel Iced Coffee every morning of your life!  Yes, I really do drink this almost every morning!  LOVE THIS STUFF!!!

Skinny Caramel Iced Coffee

• 8 oz double strength coffee, chilled *
• 2 tbsp caramel ice cream syrup **
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 packets of splenda (or you can use about 1/2-3/4 tsp sugar)
• ice

Combine chilled coffee, caramel syrup, milk and splenda.  Stir until combined.  Add ice and serve!  Yes, it’s that easy!

 

*I make up a big batch of double strength coffee and just keep it in a container in the fridge.  When I’m ready to make my drink, just pour 8 oz. into a glass and continue.

**Try Chocolate Syrup if you don’t like caramel! 

 

Chocolat Chunk Chewies – use up those egg whites!

Yes, I’m much later getting this posted than I planned.  With fall baseball season starting, and BOTH my kiddos playing, it’s been super crazy around here lately just trying to get homework, dinner  and practice in each night.  And I’m back to working my regular schedule now that the kids are in school, so I don’t have as much free time during the day as I did over the summer.  I’m adjusting back to the busy school-time schedule, so please bear with me!

So, after making (or at least reading the recipe for) that make-you-slap-yo-mamma yummy Key Lime Pie, you’re probably wondering what on earth you’re going to do with all those egg whites.  I did too.  Of course, you could make an angel food cake, or an egg white omelet (or just add a couple egg whites to whole eggs for omelets or even scrambled eggs), but those things just weren’t trippin’ my trigger that day.  I dug through lots of my cookbooks, in search of a recipe that used a ton of egg whites only.  When I came across one for “Chocolate Chunk Chewies” I knew I’d have to try those…I mean…HELLO!!!  Chocolate!!!

For this recipe, you’ll need:

4-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp espresso or instant coffee powder (you can leave it out, but it really adds a nice dimension of flavor)

2 cups cocoa powder

6 egg whites

4 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cups chocolate chunks

 

Start by placing the egg whites and vanilla in mixer bowl…

Then add in the powdered sugar, salt, espresso powder and cocoa…

Mix at low speed for about 2 minutes. 

The batter will seem a little dry at first, but will become shiny and smooth as it mixes…

Refrigerate the batter for a couple of hours, or overnight.

Stir in the chocolate chunks and resist the urge to dive in with a spoon and a glass of milk right now!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray cookie sheets well with nonstick spray.  Drop dough by spoonfuls (I actually use a cookie/ice cream scooper) onto the pans…

Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on pans for about 5 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Now pour yourself a big ol’ glass of cold milk and stuff your face until you can’t button your pants and you can’t breathe treat yourself to a couple of these cookies.

I’m making a couple of yummalicious desserts for a family dinner on Sunday, so I’ll be sharing more sweet sensations soon!  (That’s almost a tongue twister!)

Have a blessed day!