Brewin’ with Brandi: Savory Salted Caramel Appletini
Ring in 2013 with a devastatingly devilish riff on the very popular appletini! Brandi shakes up a batch of this lovely cocktail, which sets the sweetness of the apple off with its salted caramel undertones.
Ingredients
- ice
- 3/4 oz. Monin Salted Caramel syrup
- 2 oz vodka
- 2 oz apple juice
- 1 wedge of lemon
Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add the syrup, vodka and apple juice, then squeeze the lemon wedge into it. Shake vigorously and serve up!
Brewin’ with Brandi: Pumpkin Espresso Smoothie
Brandi’s recipe this week is both delicious and healthy — woah! We know, we know. It’s a rich, smooth and creamy smoothie that features real pumpkin and an espresso shot for a little kick. Watch her blend it up!
Ingredients
- 1 can of pumpkin (15 oz)
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
- 2 oz of espresso
- 1/2 oz Monin Pumpkin Spice syrup
Directions
You’ll need to begin with frozen pumpkin, so it’s best to put the pumpkin in the freezer the night before you’re going to make your smoothie. Once you’ve completed that, throw all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth! Garnish with crushed cinnamon graham crackers, if desired.
Cooking with Kaylie: Espresso Marshmallows
I should start by telling you something: I am not a successful candy maker. Seriously, every candy-like venture, outside of divinity, has ended in a questionably edible product. While I’m not sure many people consider marshmallows to be candy, it does require a candy thermometer. So, I’m sure you can appreciate the ease of this recipe if it turned out perfectly, even with my occasional inattentiveness.
Speaking of which, keep an eye on the sugar mixture as it cooks. If you don’t, you may walk in to see that it is boiling over and be left with burnt sugar all over your nice glass stovetop. I mean, I’m not necessarily saying that this happened to me, but pay attention…
Ingredients
- 3 packages of unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup very cold water
- 1/2 cup espresso (roughly 2 shots)
- Ice
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
Directions
- Empty the gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of your stand mixer and stir gently. Let sit while it blooms.
- Brew the 2 shots and add ice. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then fish out the remaining ice with a spoon.
- In a pan, mix together the iced espresso, white sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla. Set to medium heat and place a lid on the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Remove the lid and, using a candy thermometer, let boil until it reaches 240 degrees F.
- When the sugar mixture reaches temperature, remove from heat immediately and carefully pour it into the gelatin.
- Start your mixer at slow speed and work up to a very high speed. This will mix for 8-10 minutes, growing substantially in size as it whisks.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar and corn starch.
- Line a square pan with plastic wrap and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle the powdered sugar mixture over the plastic wrap, ensuring that every spot that will be touched by marshmallow is coated.
- Once the marshmallow mixture has grown to double or triple its original size and stops growing (8-10 minutes from start of mixing), pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Smooth the top as best you can and sprinkle the powdered sugar mixture over the top. Place another piece of plastic wrap over it and let it sit for 6 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the plastic wrap and transfer the marshmallows to a cutting board. Cut the marshmallow block first in half, then cut each half into eighths.
- After cutting, separate the marshmallow pieces or they will stick together. Dip each piece in the powdered sugar mixture, coating the sticky sides. Pat off excess and place in an airtight storage container.
These are very much for the coffee lover in your life. They have a prominent coffee/espresso flavor and practically melt in your mouth!
Brewin’ with Brandi: Chocolate Espresso No-Bake Cookies
This time of year is filled with delicious sweets n’ treats and we want to help you spread the naughtiness with these delectable cookies! They’re super easy to make, so that’s definitely a plus during the busy holiday season. Watch Brandi make a batch to see how simple these are to craft.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup espresso (or strong coffee)
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
Directions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add sugar, espresso/coffee and cocoa.
- Bring the mixture up to a rolling boil, then continue boiling for one minute while stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.
- Add oatmeal and mix until everything is well-incorporated.
- Drop by the spoonful on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet and allow to cool — it will set more quickly if you put them in the refrigerator.
Brewin’ with Brandi: Merry Mocha
If the weather outside is frightful, etc. etc. If we’re honest, we have yet to see a speck o’ snow in these parts, although we’ve had enough rain that kayaking to work almost seems like a feasible option. If there’s a chill in the air where you’re at, or you just really, really love decadent treats, then this lovely eggnog-infused concoction will find its way into your heart.
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz. Monin Dark Chocolate Sauce
- 2 shots of espresso
- 6 oz eggnog (we used soynog)
Directions
Put chocolate sauce in your serving cup and pull shots directly into it. Stir well to combine. Steam up eggnog and then pour over chocolate & espresso. Garnish with whipped cream and nutmeg if desired. Note: We used soynog in this recipe, which is not as thick as regular eggnog. If you want to use traditional eggnog, we recommend mixing it with milk so that it steams more easily. Individual tastes vary, but we dig 1/3 eggnog to 2/3 milk.
Brewin’ with Brandi: Irish Cream Liqueur
If you’re serious about delectable liqueurs, make ‘em from scratch! Brandi shows us how to craft a delicious version of Irish cream, using several naughty ingredients and a Vitamix.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups Irish whiskey
- 1 shot of espresso
- 2 tablespoons Monin Dark Chocolate sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and then blend on high for 30 seconds, or until well incorporated. You can store in the refrigerator once crafted, simply shake well to re-integrate before use.
Brewin’ with Brandi: Espresso-Infused Vegetarian Gravy
Just work with us here.
Brandi doesn’t eat meat and she’s not a fan of mushrooms, so how can she produce a delicious gravy that has depth of flavor, great consistency and will stand up well to a lovely mash? By incorporating espresso, of course!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped onion
- 2 1/2 garlic cloves — minced
- 2 shots of espresso
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 – 2 cups of vegetable broth (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Directions
- Over medium heat, warm olive oil and then add onions and garlic; saute until onion is translucent.
- Add espresso and stir to incorporate.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the flour, mixing well to create a roux.
- Slowly pour in the vegetable broth while whisking at the same time. Continue adding broth until the gravy has reached your desired thickness and consistency.
- Allow the gravy to cook on low heat for a few minutes while all of the flavors combine.
- Finish with sage, salt and pepper to taste.
Brewin’ with Brandi: Espresso Daiquiri
Given the mas fuerte state of this week’s recipe, we learn what happens when Brandi isn’t brewin’ up booze-infused concoctions on the regular: She schools us! This cocktail is not for the faint of heart — or stomach — so venture only if you have a deep love of rum drinks, straight up.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz rum
- 2 shots of espresso
- 1 oz Monin Dark Chocolate syrup
- ice
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake well to combine. Serve straight up in a chilled martini glass.
Cooking with Kaylie: Wafflegato
We’ve all heard of an affogato: Drop a scoop of ice cream in a glass and pull a shot over it. Delicious and refreshing!
However, it has very little to do with combining food and coffee, which is my overarching mission in life. So, what would you say if I told you I recently made a wafflegato?
Your first question might be, ‘What’s a wafflegato?’ Well, it’s basically an affogato with the added amazingness of a Belgian waffle. Mmmm-hmmmm, I went there!
Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream
- 2 shots of espresso (I used Velton’s Twilight Blend – can’t get enough of that stuff!)
- Monin caramel sauce
- Belgian waffle
Directions
- Place a large scoop of ice cream into a glass (I like the larger Bodum glasses for this, as it gives some room for the waffle!).
- Pull 2 shots directly into the glass, over the ice cream.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce and situate the waffle into the cup.
Now use your waffle to soak up some of that delicious espresso and ice cream mixture.
I’m very proud to say that I’ve finally busted down the stigma surrounding eating ice cream for breakfast. Waffles and espresso somehow make it all okay … in my head, at least!
Brewin’ with Brandi: Coffee and a Donut Milkshake
We pride ourselves in being an open-minded, adventurous individual who is not afraid to try new things. But when Brandi came to us with her weekly recipe, we realized that we had finally walked up to the line that should not be crossed … and then we crossed it.
Don’t believe us? Watch her latest recipe video — which involves blending an entire donut — to witness the degradation.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold coffee
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk
- 2 cups coffee ice cream
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream
- 1 large donut
- 4 ice cubes
Directions
Add all ingredients to the blender and blend well until everything is incorporated. Yields 3 large milkshakes.