Hot Blueberry Mocha
I still haven't mastered the skill of clean cooking. Is there such a thing?
I don't mind the mess though...when my experiments turn out something as drool-worthy as this Hot Blueberry Mocha. You just need some tasty homemade syrups, a little coffee, and don't forget the whipped cream.
Everything tastes better with cream, right?
Don't like coffee? One, you're just weird. There I said it. Two, it's easy to replace the coffee with some steamy milk and turn it into a Blueberry Hot Chocolate. I've made it both ways, and both are equally delicious!
I've included the recipes for the homemade syrups at the bottom, but I'll feature those in a post soon. Enjoy!
Amber
Hot Blueberry Mocha
Yield: 2 Printable Recipe
1-2 tbsp homemade chocolate syrup (recipe below)
1-2 tbsp homemade blueberry syrup (recipe below)
2 cups hot brewed coffee
whipped cream
Directions:
Brew 2 cups of coffee. Pour 1-2 tbsp of blueberry syrup in the bottom of a mug. Add 1-2 tbsp of chocolate syrup. Pour 1 cup of hot coffee over the syrup and stir to combine.
Now top with whipped cream and try not to drool!
Homemade Blueberry Syrup
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup sugar
fresh squeezed lemon juice
For the blueberry syrup: Place the blueberries in a blender and puree until smooth. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to the blender if using fresh blueberries. Place the pureed blueberries and the sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Now pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp and seeds. Pour syrup into a container and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate syrup: Place the water, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour into a container, allow to cool, and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Awesome Cinnamon Rolls
I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years, I know we did. Well, we had a great Christmas, but New Year's was questionable.
If you enjoy sniffling colds, fevers, coughing, and just generally feeling like crap...then we had a blast! :) The little man has been pretty sick the last few days, so I've been a bit delayed in re-sharing my cinnamon rolls with you that we
The roll is a soft, pastry like cinnamon roll - not your average giant, puffy Cinnabon-clone. Not that there is anything wrong with giant, puffy, Cinnabon-clone rolls. These are just different, but equally as delicious.
The addition of mashed potato and sour cream in the dough helps to make the dough soft, tender and super yummy. So here you go, enjoy my cinnamon rolls!
Amber
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: 12 Printable Recipe
Dough:
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm mashed potatoes (plain)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
3 cups unbleached flour
Smear:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg white
2 tsp cinnamon
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp soft butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
enough milk or orange juice to make a thick pouring glaze
Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast and sugar; set aside to foam for about 5 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the warm mashed potato (just plain mashed potato, nothing added to it), sugar, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and salt. Add the flour and yeast mixture. Using the dough hook, mix the dough on speed 2, for 2 minutes.
Add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just cleans the bowl, but is very soft. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to raise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down and let rise again (about another 2 hours.) On a lightly flour surface, roll the dough into a rectangle and spread with smear. (The size of the rectangle will depend on how large you want the finished rolls.) Roll dough into cylinder. Cut into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place in a greased 9x13 oblong pan.
If baking immediately: Allow the rolls to rise again until doubled. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350. Remove from oven when done and brush with melted butter. Drizzle with glaze while still hot.
Overnight method: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to raise overnight. When ready to bake in the morning, remove rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Drizzle with glaze while still hot.
While the rolls are baking, combine the powdered sugar, butter, and enough milk to make a thick pouring glaze. Use a spoon or the tines of a fork to drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Use as much or as little as you like.
Add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just cleans the bowl, but is very soft. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to raise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down and let rise again (about another 2 hours.) On a lightly flour surface, roll the dough into a rectangle and spread with smear. (The size of the rectangle will depend on how large you want the finished rolls.) Roll dough into cylinder. Cut into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place in a greased 9x13 oblong pan.
If baking immediately: Allow the rolls to rise again until doubled. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350. Remove from oven when done and brush with melted butter. Drizzle with glaze while still hot.
Overnight method: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to raise overnight. When ready to bake in the morning, remove rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Drizzle with glaze while still hot.
While the rolls are baking, combine the powdered sugar, butter, and enough milk to make a thick pouring glaze. Use a spoon or the tines of a fork to drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Use as much or as little as you like.
Artichoke & Jalapeno Ranch Dip: A Tasty Kitchen Recipe
I hope you all had a great holiday with your loved ones. I know we did! Christmas may be over, but with New Year's coming up, the need for good party food isn't over. I've got a delicious dip here that not only tastes great, is actually HEALTHY. Well, healthy insomuch that is uses creamy Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise to avoid added calories.
Throw in some ranch seasoning, hearty artichoke hearts, and spicy jalapenos, and you've got a deliciously decadent dip (now say that as fast as you can), that will be a great addition to any New Year's party spread...or football party.
My Favorite Christmas Sugar Cookie
This is going to be a super quick post, I'm sure you're all neck deep in holiday baking, last minute christmas shopping, and wrapping mountains of presents.
But I just had to share a great recipe I tried today for cut-out sugar cookies. This recipe is by the awesomely talented Laurie, at Simply Scratch, and it's the best recipe I've tried for cut-out sugar cookies.
Usually my doughy men resemble some kind of Frankenstein mutation, turning into those cookies you stuff out of sight, never to embarrass you by actually being seen, let alone offered to company. But these babies had the perfect consistency making them super easy to roll out all pretty. Did I mention they taste awesome too? So buttery and light, and when you slather them with Laurie's Vanilla Frosting...oh man!
For the recipe, head over to Laurie's blog, Simply Scratch!
Enjoy!
Amber
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mocha Frappe - Holiday Flavors
Do you remember my Homemade Iced Mocha Frappe's? I love being able to make my own coffee drinks at home, without having to kill my wallet by going to Starbucks. It's so easy to make your own, and you can customize them any way to want.
Not a fan of cold drinks in the winter? Not a problem, just leave out the ice and keep your coffee hot instead of chilling it...now you've got yourself a snuggly, warm version.
Some of my favorite versions are Pumpkin Spice, White Chocolate Peppermint, Caramel, and Cinnamon. I just make a homemade syrup to flavor the mocha's how I want. For a Pumpkin Spice Mocha, I like to use the Pumpkin Spice Syrup I used in the Pumpkin Spice Hot Apple Cider.
So, here's a remix on my homemade Mocha Frappe's - holiday style!
Pumpkin Spice Mocha Frappe
Serves: 2 Printable Recipe
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup milk
2 cups ice cubes
2-3 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp chocolate syrup
2-3 tbsp pumpkin spice syrup
whipped topping (for garnish)
chocolate syrup (for garnish)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp ginger
Directions:
Brew up your coffee...make it strong baby. Nobody likes weak, watery coffee. Now allow it to chill for a bit. You do the same.
To make the pumpkin syrup: Combine everything in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
To make the pumpkin syrup: Combine everything in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
For frozen Pumpkin Spice Mocha Frappe: Add chilled coffee, milk, chocolate and pumpkin syrups, sugar, and ice cubes into your blender, blend until smooth. Pour into a nice frosty glass, top with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and whatever else your coffee-loving heart desires.
For hot Pumpkin Spice Mocha: Combine hot coffee, chocolate and pumpkin syrups, sugar and milk. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and extra syrup.
Enjoy!
Amber
Cinnamon Bark Cookies: An Oldie But A Goodie
I've got a really unique Christmas cookie in my archives. It was just sitting there....all lonely...thinking it would never again get to share its Christmas deliciousness with food lovers again. So, I decided to dust it off and share it again. It's been a couple of years since I first posted this one, so I thought it was time to give it some love.
This cookie is kind of time consuming to make, but the results are so pretty it's worth it. It's a crisp, slightly buttery cookie with a mild cinnamon flavor. Perfect for eating with a hot mug of cocoa or cup of coffee.
Want the recipe? You can get it in my original post for Cinnamon Bark Cookies.
Enjoy!
Amber
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