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.
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 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.
Brewin’ with Brandi: Spicy Cinnamon Apple Cider
The lovely colors, scents and chill of Autumn are upon us, and what better way to sit back and enjoy them but with a mug of hot apple cider? Brandi crafts a delicious variation using one of our favorite syrups — Spicy Red Cinnamon! Watch her steam it up on the Rocket.
Ingredients
- 8 oz apple cider
- 1/2 oz Monin Spicy Red Cinnamon syrup
- 1/2 oz Monin Caramel syrup
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a steaming pitcher and heat to your preferred temperature using your espresso machine’s steam wand. Pour into a mug and enjoy!
Brewin’ with Brandi: Pina Colada Straight UP
We’re not going to serenade you about how we ‘accidentally’ answered your personal ad in the newspaper, lover, but we will make you one of your favorite drinks! Brandi incorporates Monin’s delicious coconut syrup into this straight-up version of one of our favorite swim-up bar offerings on the planet.
Ingredients
- 4 oz pineapple juice
- 3/4 oz heavy cream
- 1 oz Monin Coconut syrup
- 1 1/2 oz rum
Directions
In a shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients and shake well to combine. Strain into a martini glass and sip while reminiscing about sunnier days.
Cooking with Kaylie: Caramel Apple Muffins
With autumn slowly creeping up on us, we’ve been a bit sluggish around the office. In my mind, there is really only one option to cure us of our fall funk: Eat as many seasonal foods as possible and stay in a food coma until spring rolls around again!
So, the first stop on our way to winter hibernation is the iconic caramel apple…in muffin form!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
- Monin Caramel Sauce
Directions
- Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
- Beat together butter butter, white sugar, brown sugar and eggs until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla.
- Stir in apples, then stir in the flour mixture.
- Divide mixture between a greased, or lined, 12-cup muffin pan and bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Drizzle with caramel syrup immediately before serving.
The greatest thing about this recipe? It’s technically a muffin, so you can guiltlessly eat them for breakfast!
Brewin’ with Brandi: Cafe Banana Split
Looking for a super simple sweet treat? This lovely recipe features a shot of espresso, a little sugar, a little cool frothed milk and some fun! Watch Brandi whip it up using Nespresso’s Gran Maestria capsule espresso machine and included Aero4 automatic frother.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Shot of espresso
- Milk – cold or hot frothed
- Tea biscuit
- Banana, diced
- Monin Caramel Sauce
Directions
Place brown sugar in the bottom of a demitasse. Add espresso and then pour frothed milk on top, leaving a bit of room at the top. Float the tea biscuit and diced banana on top of the milk, then drizzle with caramel sauce.
Brewin’ with Brandi: Gingerbread Cream Cocoa
The leaves are changing, the air is getting a bit more crisp in the mornings and you might find yourself taking a long, serious look at that fleece in the closet. Like everything in life, the seasons must change, so why not welcome the arrival of autumn with a delicious beverage?
Brandi’s newest recipe uses the one-touch simplicity of the Breville Milk Cafe to do all the heavy lifting. Watch her whip up this lovely cocoa.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Monin Gingerbread syrup
- 1 1/2 oz Monin White Chocolate sauce
- 12 oz milk
Directions
Combine syrup, sauce and milk in an automatic frother, then engage to combine them! Alternately, you could steam up or heat your milk separately, then stir sauce and syrup in afterward.