A lot of times, most of the time, my recipes are complicated, and can’t be replicated in a working environment. I was challenged to create a creative, in-store pairing with the Brazil Santa Ines. I love how sweet this coffee can be, how it can stand up to distinct flavors like bananas, which really showcase it’s creaminess. Yes, this coffee pairs well with banana bread, but I wanted to do something more. I was having a craving for sushi, and then it hit me.. banana sushi.
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My husband and I were out and about, and there was a food truck giving out free samples of beignets. If you’ve never had a beignet, it is basically a fritter. Delicious fried dough topped with powdered sugar. Beignets are synonymous with creole cooking, and when they were first introduced in New Orleans by the French colonists, bananas and plantains were a popular variation. The beignet sample I was given was terrible.. it was so greasy and just tasted stale. It made me sad, but it also made me want to make beignets and do a coffee tasting! Then the Brazil Santa Ines came out, and what a perfect coffee at the perfect time. With notes of plantain and milk chocolate, this coffee is made for beignets that are stuffed with plantains and then topped with a hazelnut praline sauce 🙂
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Kati Kati has become one of my favorite seasonal offerings at Starbucks. It is great hot or iced, and has so many great pairing options. you can go citrus, you can go spicy, even smokey! I love oatmeal cookies (who doesn’t?!) and i want to highlight the warm spice notes along with the citrus.
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One of my favorite ways to serve kati kati is iced and served in an orange cup. This year, I wanted to change things up a bit. Not only change the presentation of the coffee, and the vessel it is served in, but to change the texture. A whole new experience with Kati Kati!
If you don’t have Kati Kati, Kenya, Willow and Ethiopia are all great coffees to transform in this way. Try switching up the citrus, a grapefruit for Kenya or a blood orange with Ethiopia.
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For the fourth of July, I wanted to put my own coffee twist on a classic beverage; the root beer float. Cold brewed Vietnam da Lat with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, topped with Cola, and garnished with whiskey soaked Rainer cherries. I can sum this up in just two words…
More, please.
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I am kind of obsessed with VIA Refreshers, especially the Valencia Orange flavor. These cookies are so colorful and just scream SUMMER.
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I am obsessed with the new Evolution Fresh yogurts! I love yogurt as a quick snack, and the partnership with Evolution Fresh and Dannon did not disappoint! The greek yogurt has a great smooth texture and is on the tangy side, which I love, and the fruit choices are some of my favorites! Right now I am hooked on the raspberry blackberry flavor, and decided to make these breakfast muffins. They are bursting with fresh fruit, and make the perfect on the go breakfast.
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I remember the first time I opened a bag of Hacienda Alsacia. I was instantly brought back to a field of stargazer lilies in California. The scent was so floral, and so sweet, and unlike any coffee I had ever smelled before. Pairing this coffee with lavender seemed like a natural progression, so I made it iced and added a dash of Scrappy’s bitters. It was perfection.
Carrying a bottle of bitters around is kind of awkward (even for me) so the idea for these sugarcubes was born. These also make excellent champagne cocktails. trust me……..
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Pinterest keeps suggesting this “soda cake” to me. A boxed vanilla cake with a can of soda, and that’s it. I’ll be honest, I was curious. No butter, no eggs, how can it possibly taste good?! So I decided I would try it, but I’d use a canned Starbucks refresher instead of soda. I settled on a lemon cake with the strawberry lemonade refresher, but was very close to using a vanilla cake mix with the blueberry acai. Next time…. …
Nutella stuffed cinnamon rolls
The Brazil Sertãozinho is easily one of my favorite Starbucks Reserve coffees to date. It makes the most incredible cold brew that tastes like chocolate milk, but when brewed hot in the chemex, it reminds me of Nutella. Milk chocolate, toasted hazelnuts and so smooth. This is a perfect coffee for a sinful breakfast, so I decided to pair it with cinnamon rolls that have been stuffed with Nutella and via.
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