Saturday, May 27, 2006

Tim Horton's Cafe Mocha - Mixture of Coffee & Hot Chocolate

Just for Canadian readers (although I think there may be a few Timmy's in the US now too) -- if you love both coffee AND hot chocolate, you'll want to try a Cafe Mocha. It's basically half of each topped with whipped topping and a healthy dose of chocolate shavings. I think a medium is about $1.39 -- a lot cheaper than a pricey starbucks creation!

Of course, you could also make this at home -- just half coffee and half hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. YUMMMMMMM

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Mochaccino Shakes Recipe - Coffee Recipes Gourmet

1 cup cold milk
1 cup strong black coffee, regular or decaf
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 pints coffee flavor ice cream
Whipped cream in spray canister for garnish
Chocolate shavings for garnish

To a blender, add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup coffee, 1/4 cup syrup and cinnamon. Puree to combine ingredients. Add 1 pint ice cream and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 frosted fountain glasses or tall glasses and garnish with swirls of whipped cream, an extra pinch of cinnamon and some chocolate savings and serve. Repeat to make 2 more shakes.

Enjoy this delicious coffee treat on a hot summer day!

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Antioxidant-rich coffee may have health benefits

By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Coffee seems to provide more than a quick pick-me-up. A new study suggests that drinking 1 to 3 cups of coffee per day may help protect against cardiovascular disease and other illnesses characterized by inflammation.

"The findings tend to suggest that there may be some benefit to drinking modest amounts of coffee," Dr. David R. Jacobs, Jr., one of the study's investigators, told Reuters Health.

For complete article, visit: http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-05-19T142128Z_01_COL951667_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-COFFEE-HEALTH-DC.XML&archived=False

Monday, May 15, 2006

On Vacation - Yay!

:) I'm taking my well-used coffee cup and heading on vacation this week - to my favorite place on earth - Nova Scotia! Just wanted all of you coffee fanatics to know I'll be away.

I can still probably post a few new things while away. Anyway, bye for now all!
Hugs,
Christina

P.S. The vacation is also due to the fact that my dear cousin is getting married. :) Should be a fun time for all of the family!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Make Your Own Flavored Coffee Syrups

Probably one of the coolest coffee creation recipes yet -- again, big thanks to Christi for sending this in. If you want to whip up gourmet coffee creations at home, creating your own flavor syrups is the way to start.

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
your favorite flavored extracts -- to taste

These are popular to flavor coffee and latte.In a heavy saucepan, stir sugar and water over medium heat, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Add flavorings to taste. Pour into a pretty bottle and label. Store refrigerated.Some favorite combinations: Vanilla and Almond, Hazelnut, Vanilla and Orange.

Old Fashioned Lemon Bars

These would be perfect on the side, with your steaming hot cup of coffee. This is an old-fashioned recipe sent in by CHRISTI - who has been sending in all sorts of fabulous recipes lately. Enjoy!

Lemon Bars
Serving Size : 16
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon flour

Mix 1 cup flour, butter and powdered sugar. Mix and pack evenly into an 8x8" pan. Bake untl lightly browned in a 350° oven. Beat eggs, lemon juice and rind, granulated sugar, baking powder and 1 tbsp flour. Pour over baked crust. Bake 25-30 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.Yield: "16 bars"

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Copycat Tim Hortons Iced Cap Recipe

I can barely contain my excitement! Nikki has given me permission to share her Copycat Tim Hortons Ice Cap recipe with all you coffee lovers. :) I happen to be really addicted to these and plan on trying this recipe soon. She also says that she adds a bit more sugar than what is listed. And I agree with what she says:

"Thanks for writing, I think us addicts should not keep a secret like this to ourselves! lol ! "

can be made with regular coffee or decaf:
2 oz. boiling water
2 tablespoons instant coffee
2 heaping tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute Equal)
4-6 ice cubes
1/3 cup 15% cream. (or chocolate milk...or regular milk)
Mix first 3 ingredients together to make a syrup, put into blender. Add ice cubes and blend until slushy. Add cream and blend until frothy
.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Collette's Secret Chocolate & Coffee Cookies

Ooh la la...Collette's sharing her top secret cookie recipe. I'm going to give these a try!


Heres my secret recipe that EVERYONE begs me for when I make them. I wanted to share it with you.....it will send your tastebuds WILD!!! HA HA

Coffee Chocolate Cookies

3/4 C slivered almonds(or any of your choice)
1/3 C instant coffee (or as much as you like)
2 tbsp. hot water (add little more if use more coffee)
2 2/3 C flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C butter or margarine (softened
1 1/4 C white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C chocolate chips or small chunks
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Toast nuts for till browned if desired.
In a small bowl dissolve coffee with hot water.
In seperate mixing bowl mix flour,baking soda, and salt.
Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add coffee, vanilla, and eggs into butter mixture;mix well.
Reduce mixer's speed to low and slowly add flour mixture.
Fold chocolate and nuts into dough.
Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!!!
Your gonna LOVE them!!!!!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Hot Stuff - Coffee is a Hot Internet Search

Do you know that at least 9000 people a day search for COFFEE on Internet search engines? :) See, coffee creationists - we're clearly not the only ones hooked on the dark stuff!

CoffeeBlanca - Fantastic Coffee Ice Cream Drink

:) Can't you tell that I'm craving coffee ice cream? Christi sent in this amazing recipe, and I'm a sucker for an adorably NAMED coffee creation too. This one looks like a keeper, coffee lovers...with coffee and vanilla ice cream, how can it NOT be good??


2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup water
2 cups milk
1 pint vanilla ice cream -- softened
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coffee liqueur -- (optional)

Stir together first 3 ingredients until instant coffee dissolves. Pour into 2 ice cube trays; freeze until firm.Process cubes, ice cream, chocolate syrup, vanilla, and, if desired, liqueur in a blender until smooth; serve immediately.This recipe yields 6 cups.Source: "Southern Living Magazine"Yield: "6 cups"

For more recipes than you can shake a stick at, visit http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net - my main website! :)

Monday, May 08, 2006

Greek Frappe - Coffee Recipe

Below you can find the recipe for the Greek Frappe. It is the most popular coffee in Greece for the last 30 years.

This recipe makes enough for one serving.

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee (Nescafe Original red label is the most popular brand)
1 1/2 cups cold water
Sugar
Milk
Ice cubes
In a shaker or blender mix together 5 Tbs water, coffee and sugar to taste.

Shake contents for about 30 seconds or blend for about 10 seconds. The result should be simply foam.

Pour into tall glass and add the ice cubes. Add remaining water and milk to taste. Put in a straw.

Milk and sugar are according to taste. It is not obligatory to add them.



Found this fabulous recipe over at INeedCoffee.com. Let's drink our coffee like the Greeks do! :)

It's All About the Bean - the Coffee Bean, that Is

Are you nuts about coffee? :) Obviously, or else would you be here? I think not! Anyway, if you love your coffee beans whole, so you can grind them yourself, you'll be thrilled at the variety of whole coffee beans at Amazon. Check these out:


Coffee Beans Galore

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Decadent Coffee Fudge Recipe

Raspberry Coffee Fudge Recipe
If you didn't want the raspberry flavor, but preferred a chocolate coffee fudge, just use plain semi sweet or milk chocolate chips. :) Easy, huh?

1/4 lb. butter
12 oz. can of evaporated milk
3 1/2 C. sugar
1 heaping T. instant coffee
10 oz. Hershey's Raspberry chocolate chips
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
7 oz. marshmallow cream
1 t. vanilla

In a heavy saucepan melt the butter. Add evaporated milk, sugar, and coffee.

Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly until the temperature reaches 235° F.

Remove from heat and and raspberry chocolate chips and the bittersweet chocolate. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are melted.

Add the marshmallow crème and stir until blended. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Cut in bite sized squared when cooled.

True Definiton of a Cappuccino

CAPPUCCINO
Ever wondered what the definition of a cappuccino really is? Excllent, because here's the answer you seek!

Opinions vary, but it's usually ( 1 : 2 ) Espresso : Frothed Milk. Elegantly sprinkled on top with powdered chocolate or cinnamon. Delicious only if the espresso is strong and well flavoured!

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Cappuccino Muffins with Chocolate Chips Recipe

Cappuccino Muffins
Big thanks to Connie for sending in this luscious sounding treat! Cappuccino muffins with mini chocolate chips in the batter and a cinnamon sugar topping.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

TOPPING: 6 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, coffee granules, cinnamon and salt. Whisk the egg, milk, butter and vanilla; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourth full. For topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. YIELD: 15 muffins Recipe Source: Taste of Home magazine, June/July 2005 issue (submitted by Leslie Rosengarten, Minster, Ohio

Monday, May 01, 2006

Coffee Quiz: Are YOU a Coffee Expert?

I am by NO means a coffee snob - I love most any coffee creation I can get my hands on or make myself. But, I found this cute coffee quiz for you readers -- it's posted on the Prevention website so of course it's mostly pertaining to how coffee does (or doesn't) affect your health:
http://www.prevention.com/quizleadin/1,5771,s-3-61-462-4987-1,00.html Pretty interesting stuff!

Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake Recipe

My recipe researchers (readers of my newsletters and blogs who volunteer to help submit recipes) have come up ACES with all sorts of gorgeous Starbucks creations. This one is for the classic coffee cake - urm, it sort of makes sense to have a slice of coffee cake with your coffee, doesn't it? :) Call me a traditionlist, but it sounds like bliss to me.

Anyway, thanks to Sue B. for this & many other fabulous Starbucks recipes!! (I'm going to work on a huge page of Starbucks copycat recipes. Will let you all know as soon as it's done.)

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup butter softened, 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp's. vanilla, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup milk.
TOPPING: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar packed, 1 cup butter softened, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional).
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 325°F. Make TOPPING by combining 1 cup flour with brown sugar, a stick of softened butter and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mixture should have the consistency of moist sand. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. With a electric mixer, mix until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the moist ingredients a little it at a time. Add milk and mix well. Spoon the batter into a 9x13-inch pan that has been buttered and dusted with a light coating of flour. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Be sure the topping completely covers the batter. Bake cake for 50 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn light brown. Cool and slice into 8 pieces.
SERVES: 8