Fantastic DIY Holiday Drinks
Save money and Splurge on taste!
Those
red cups, you know the ones I’m talking about. This year I saw them before
Halloween, but it means the holiday drinks have arrived. They are oh so good
but for those of us on a budget, those cups of ambrosia can add up (especially
if you crave more than one a day). Now it is important to treat yourself and
meeting for coffee is so much cheaper than meeting for dinner. However, making your
own will allow you to save you money AND enjoy these drinks all year
around. You can also tweak the ingredients to match your preferences, dietary
requirements, and mood!
So a friend recently told us how he makes
his own Peppermint Mocha.
Just
take espresso, peppermint white chocolate, mocha carnation creamer, Peppermint
Extract- one cap, fat free cool whip and Andes mint morsels to make your own version of a Starbuck favorite. Great
idea!
If you need a more precise recipe we found
this one at the MomAdvice website:
Ingredients:
1 cup milk, steamed
1 cup very strong coffee (4 tablespoons coffee grounds to 1 cup of hot water, I
prepared this in my French Press, but you
can brew a strong drip pot if you prefer)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
2-3 tablespoons peppermint syrup (you can use my recipe below or ask behind the
counter at Starbucks for a prepared bottle that you can use all winter long)
Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate Syrup (optional)
Crushed Peppermints (optional)
Directions:
Prepare your hot water in a
kettle. Add four tablespoons of your favorite coffee grounds to your French
Press. Pour 1 cup of hot water over them and allow the coffee to steep for four
minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a pot, heat up one cup of
milk until it is steaming. Froth the milk with a wire whisk or an
immersion blender until it is nice and foamy.
In your coffee cup, mix
together the prepared coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and peppermint coffee syrup
until the sugar and cocoa powder are dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour the
milk foam over the top of the coffee/mocha mixture and stir to incorporate. Top
with whipped cream, a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup, and crushed
peppermints.
You can make an ICED VERSION with coffee ice cubes rather than ice coffee. Some
people add ice but this is a much easier way. When you have extra coffee pour
it in an ice cube tray and freeze. This way you can make a quick and easy Iced
Latte without watering down the drink.
To make an Iced Peppermint Mocha:
6 coffee ice cubes
4 tablespoons sugar (or to taste )
A chocolate syrup (as much as you want)
1 tablespoon peppermint syrup (Starbucks
or Torani)
1 cup milk
Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. This will yield
one huge mocha or two smaller mochas
Makes 1 to 2 servings
2
cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon Torani Pumpkin
Spice Syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more to garnish
1 to 2 shots espresso, about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed
coffee
Whipped cream, to garnish
In
a saucepan whisk together milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat,
stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer
to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don't have a
blender, don't worry about it — just whisk the mixture really well with a wire
whisk.
Pour
into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.
Top
with whipped cream, if desired, and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or
cinnamon on top.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk, steamed
1 cup very strong coffee (4 tablespoons coffee grounds to 1 cup of hot water,
prepared in a French Press)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons caramel coffee syrup (I bought mine at our local superstore in
the coffee aisle or you can pick them up at your wholesale club for cheap. I
accidentally bought sugar-free and it worked like a charm. Feel free to use
either variety and adjust to your taste)
Whipped cream
Caramel Sauce
1/8 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
Directions:
Prepare your hot water in a
kettle. Add four tablespoons of your favorite coffee grounds to your French
Press. Pour 1 cup of hot water over them and allow the coffee to steep for four
minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a pot, heat up one cup of
milk until it is steaming. Froth the milk with a wire whisk or an
immersion blender until it is nice and foamy.
In your coffee cup, mix
together the prepared coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and caramel coffee syrup
until the sugar and cocoa powder are dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour the
milk foam over the top of the coffee/mocha mixture and stir to incorporate. Top
with whipped cream, a generous drizzle of caramel sauce, and your pinch of
salt.
Bask in your ability to make
all good things at home.
Frosting was found on the Food Beast website. They
used it for valentine’s day but it would be amazing as a wintertime treat.
Could you imagine inviting a friend over around Christmas time for those
delicious creations?
Have a better
version? A different holiday drink? A
helpful hint? We would LOVE to hear from you!
XOXO,
Mary Ann
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