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.

 

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! 

 

Skinny Summer Slushies

Cool off on hot summer days with these yummy homemade slushies!  Just keep in mind that these need to freeze for several hours before enjoying, so plan ahead and make them the night before or first thing in the morning, and you’ll be ready for slushies in the hot afternoon!  The key ingredient is the club soda – it prevents the mixture from freezing rock solid like it would if you used water.

Skinny Summer Slushies

• 1 liter club soda
• 1 container frozen 100% juice (I used grape juice), thawed

Pour fruit juice into a large container.  Slowly add club soda and stir.  It will bubble up – just wait for the bubbles to subside and then pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  When ready to serve, place frozen cubes in food processor and process until smooth.  Serve immedieately.

An after dinner dessert drink…

This ain’t yo momma’s milkshake, baby.  No sirree.  This, my friends, is a Mudslide Shake.  And it just happens to be my husband’s favorite dessert treat.  Every once in a while, after we get the kidlets in bed and we have a minute to unwind, he’ll ask for a Mudslide Shake.  Usually I oblige and fix him one.  Occasionally I say I don’t feel like fixing one and he’ll whine for a bit, but finally give up and just hush.  However…one day last week was different.  He asked me to fix him a Mudslide Shake and I said, from my comfy seat on the couch, “No can do, buddy.  I’m exhausted.”  And much to my surprise he said “Well, tell me how to make it”.  After I picked my jaw up off the floor (you see, my hubs, though I love him dearly, isn’t much of a cook), I commenced to tell him how to make his beloved dessert drink.  Here’s what the next few minutes looked and sounded like.

HUBS:  What all do I need? 

ME:  Kahlua, Bailey’s, Vodka, Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup.

HUBS:  Ok.

**I hear clanking and shuffling in the kitchen for a few seconds.**

HUBS:  Where do we keep the alcohol stuff?

ME:  Right there on the counter…over in the corner.

HUBS:  Oh, I see it.  OK.  How much of each?

ME:  You need one ounce of Kahlua, one ounce of Bailey’s, and half an ounce of Vodka.   Put that in the blender.

**More clanking around, as he gets the blender out of the cabinet.**

HUBS:  Wait…where’s something to measure it in?

ME:  *sigh*  The jigger is in the cabinet above the espresso machine.

HUBS:  OK…found it.  What was it again?

ME:  One ounce Kahlua, one ounce Bailey’s and half an ounce of Vodka.

HUBS:  Okay.

ME:  Now, add a big squeeze of chocolate syrup.

HUBS:  How much is a big squeeze?

ME:  I don’t know!  It’s not rocket science…just squeeze the bottle for 2 or 3 seconds.

HUBS:  OK.  Now what?

ME:  Add two big scoops of ice cream.

(Note – we had fudge ripple on hand…but you can also use regular ol’ vanilla)

HUBS:  OK.  Now what?

ME:  Put the lid on the blender and blend it.

HUBS:  Okey dokey. 

**Blender does it’s thing.**

HUBS:  Is that it?

ME:  That’s it.

HUBS:  That wasn’t so hard!

And that ends the epic story of how my hubs learned to make a Mudslide Shake.  In case you want the recipe without the play-by-play…here ya go.

MUDSLIDE SHAKE

• 1 oz. Kahlua
• 1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/2 oz. Vodka
• Chocolate Syrup
• 2 large scoops vanilla ice cream

Place Kahlua, Bailey’s and Vodka in blender.  Add a good squirt of chocolate syrup.  Add ice cream and blend until smooth.

To make the pretty chocolate swirl design on the glass…hold your glass at a 90 degree angle and gently squeeze in the chocolate syrup while turning the glass.  You can also just drizzle the sides of the glass with the syrup for a squigly design.