Christmas Morning Coffee

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If you're anything like me,  morning coffee knows no holiday. I want my mug of piping hot coffee first thing everyday. Christmas morning is no exception. In fact, I think it's just a good excuse to kick that ordinary cup jo up a notch. So just because Starbucks is closed, (or at least I hope they are!) doesn't mean you have to settle for an ordinary cup of coffee on Christmas morning. Add a shot of this gingerbread syrup, a glug or two of warm milk, a spritz of whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon and you'll never miss Starbucks!

It would make a great gift as well!

Gingerbread Syrup

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1(1-2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, sliced*
1 cinnamon stick, broken into large pieces
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
8 whole peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, sugar. Stir in ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool then strain through a fine mesh sieve, or double layer cheesecloth.


*My sister introduced me to gingerbread syrup. I've made it a few times and like this recipe best. Feel free to add more or less of any of the spices to suit your tastes. You could substitute the fresh ginger with 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons of ground ginger or several pieces of crystallized ginger.  Don't just save this syrup for your coffee, it's also great on pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, etc....

Merry Christmas!!!

Pumpkin Latte

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I will be the first to admit that I've got a slight ummm make that a major addiction. My drug of choice?? Coffee. The idea of starting the day without a mug of steaming hot coffee makes me shudder. Most days, just the thought of that mug of coffee is what motivates me to rise from the warm nest of my bed. Waiting for the pot to brew is the longest ten minutes of my day, but ohhh it's so worth the wait! That first sip aaahhh, nothing like it. Bring on the day!
I love the smell, taste, pretty much everything, about coffee. No love isn't to the right word, I adore it. Really coffee holds a special place in my heart.Generally I'm not a fan of flavored coffee. I want it straight with a splash of milk/cream. No sugar or flavored creamers, just plain ole coffee for me. This is still true in the morning. DO NOT mess around with that first cup of the day.
A couple of years ago I discovered (along with millions of others) Starbuck's pumpkin latte....oh my... Wow! Pumpkin and coffee ingenious! This was a flavored coffee that I could get into. However at five bucks a pop and more calories than I want to know, I didn't indulge very often. I decided to try to duplicate the flavors of the pumpkin latte at home. While not this is not quite a coffee shop style coffee, it's a pretty good knock off that is easily made at home, with no special equipment required. Drink up!!

1 cup very strong coffee or espresso
2/3 cup evaporated milk(regular or fat free evaporated milk)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 to 2 Tbl maple syrup (or use granulated sugar, if you prefer)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Combine coffee, evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan. Heat until very hot over medium-low heat and stir occasionally. To make a foamy top to your latte. Carefully transfer hot mixture into blender container; cover with lid and then hold down lid with folded towel or potholder. Blend for 1 minute.Take care when blending hot liquids!  I used an immersion stick blender. It made a nice foamy top.Carefully pour into mugs and sprinkle with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.