Coffee | 20something cupcakes

tiramisù with homemade ladyfingers.

March 4, 2012 — 6 Comments

Welcome to the vat of creamy, coffee-filled delight that is tiramisu.

Layers of espresso-cream cheese-mascarpone filling, espresso-soaked homemade ladyfingers (which are really little sponge cakes), and a dusting of chocolate? Yes. Please.

Even though most people associate tiramisu with eating out, I think it was put on this Earth for at-home entertaining. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for a dinner party – especially a big group. And, your oven’s off-duty, meaning you’ve got room for lasagna! Which is another perfect recipe for feeding a crowd.

This particular recipe had a host of issues, but I hope it doesn’t stop you from trying it entirely; because it does have some great ideas, and I’ve adjusted the recipe to give you a better result. I actually intended to give you a video for this recipe, but since I couldn’t stand behind the original recipe as I’d made it in the video, I nixed it. Gotta keep it real!

In Dinner Party Worthy, Sweets + Treats coffee, espresso, italian recipes, make-ahead, no-bake desserts, pastry cream, project pastry queen

double-mocha {fudge} brownies.

February 4, 2012 — 8 Comments

I know, I know. Ever since I used the term face-melting to describe these brownies, you’ve been dying to get your hands on them.

Or at least, dying to know exactly what we (as in, Daniel and I – we’re obvs a team here) mean by the term. Unfortunately, there’s no real way to explain it. You’ll have to taste them to truly understand.

I’d like to say it’s just the frosting that makes these brownies so good. Then, all you’d need to do to experience this food-gasm is whip up a stick of butter, a little coffee, cocoa powder, and some confectioners’ sugar (…okay, and a little salt and vanilla) in your mixer and melt away. I’m quite sure, however, that it’s the combination of this super-simple yet totally mind-blowingly dreamy frosting with the insanely rich and fudge-y brownies that evokes such a feeling.

In Obsessed, Sweets + Treats bars + brownies, chocolate, coffee, espresso powder, football fun-day, frosting, mocha, valentine's day

The other day, I ordered a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I was super-excited because it was my first of the season, and there’s little I love more than a pumpkin spice latte.

I was not so super-excited that it cost me almost $7.

That’s right. Seven bucks for a cup of coffee… Really?

Then I learned something that made me feel exponentially more super-excited than I was to begin with: You can make a pumpkin spice latte in the comfort of your home. Better yet, you can make a pumpkin spice latte in your Crock-Pot.

Word. It’s doubly-exciting to break out the Crock-Pot, since I don’t get to use it that often.

I played with the recipe a bit, so feel free to do the same. You won’t be disappointed. It’s delicious, it’s economical, and it’s healthier – thanks to the replacement of artificial syrup with natural ingredients. It’s a win-win for all. Just be sure to drink it right away; we made the mistake of leaving the leftovers on low heat for a few hours and the results weren’t so great.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Adapted from Good Morning America

1-1/2 to 2 cups brewed strong coffee
4 cups milk {I used Skim Plus, 1 or 2% would be even better}
4 tablespoons canned puréed pumpkin
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)

Add coffee/espresso and milk to your slow cooker. Whisk in pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla. If unsure of how much coffee or sugar to add, start at the lower amount. You can always add more to make it stronger or sweeter at the end. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.

Whisk again before serving. Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon. Add a cinnamon stick if you’re feeling fancy.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.