Life Is still sweet is still whipping out some essentials. I have to say that I'm a huge fan of having fun drinks to entertain with. I've even decided that some drinks can have their own parties and be the complete center of attention.
This week it's all about drinky drinks. Will cover the spectrum; coffee (it's fair to say the ultimate obsession), non-alcoholic-but-still-special-sips, and something with a kick - a proper drank.
I must say I'm a bit hesitant about flavored coffees (yes, snobby would be more appropriate). I bought a bag each of Pumpkin Spice, and Caramel Pecan Bark. I've made more than a few pots of each and it's really hard to say which is my favorite.
At first I found the flavoring to be very prominent (I think just because I wasn't used to it), but later I found it nice to have a little extra spice to my coffee. I think these two flavors pair beautifully with fall dishes. The pumpkin pie is going to be heaven with a slice of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, and I really like the Caramel Pecan Bark with maple (hello pancakes).
I really wanted to make the best use of these flavors without losing them to other ingredients.
With both flavors and recipes I started off with making a stronger than usual pot of coffee, then making it into cubes. This was a little strong for me for regular sipping, but it made great iced coffee and coffee ice cubes. I froze 12 cubes of each flavor.
The Caramel Pecan Bark had me thinking about shakes and pies. I decided to blend it all into one delicious frozen treat.
6 ice cubes of Caramel Pecan Bark coffee
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 1/2 cup praline ice cream (I used Almond Dream ice cream)
1 Tablespoon Kahlua (optional)
Place all ingredients into a blender (starting with the liquid for easier blending). Whir it up until it's smooth. Serve and enjoy.
This was nice and rich, cold and nutty. I think I could serve this instead of pecan pie any day.
The next drink is simply one of my favorites - Pumpkin Spice Thai style iced coffee.
I made some cubes of the Pumpkin Spice brewing. Then I made another pot reducing the coffee back to about 1 Tablespoon per 6 oz of water, but then I added the peel of half an orange to the coffee and then brewed. This makes for some amazing iced coffee. The citrus is perfect with the spice.
After it's done brewing simply refrigerate until cool. Then pour the chilled coffee over the coffee cubes and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.
The presentation is pretty amazing, and it's a great brunch drink. You could make up some gluten free ricotta pumpkin fritters to serve with this and call it a party.
