Coffee Cocktail Party

Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time to start thinking about the Christmas Cocktail Party.  One might think, why on earth is the barista talking about cocktail parties!?  Well I'll tell you why.  There are a lot of great cocktails and desserts out there that have the key ingredient of coffee!  Here are my favorites:

Espresso Martini
The Espresso Martini is a contemporary alternative to a classic drink.  The basic recipe for this drink is 1 shot of espresso, 1 shot of liqueur and 2 shots of vodka.  My favorite liqueurs to use are; Godiva liqueur, Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Crème, or Frangelico.  You can use any vodka plain or flavored.  I know that martinis are sometimes made with gin instead, but this is a bad idea - it will not taste good with espresso.  These can be shaken or stirred and taste best in a chilled glass.  It is greatest when topped off with a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans. 

Caribbean Coffee
For those of you who prefer a little more rum in your life, there is always the Caribbean Coffee.  You start with 5 ounces of coffee and add 1 tsp sugar, 1 ounce of rum and top it off with whipped cream.  This will be a little lighter on the alcohol but it is a perfect addition to a nice and rich dessert.  If you don't have a dessert planned, just add a little ice cream and voila - instant dessert.

Cloud 9
This one will send you straight to - you guessed it - Cloud 9!  First you must gather ingredients.  1 ounce Frangelico, 3 ounce Vodka, 1 ounce chocolate syrup, 4 cups coffee, 1 cup milk, 10 ice cubes and 2 tbsp sugar.  Mix it all together in a blender and when serving add some whipped cream on top.  This will put any future blended coffee drinks to shame.


Cafe Affogato
This little beauty is a dessert I first tasted at Macaroni Grill.  It is a scoop of vanilla gelato with fresh espresso and a shot of Frangelico liqueur poured over it.  It may just be the best thing I have ever tasted in my life!  Of course the gelato starts melting once you pour the hot espresso over it.  Once you eat what little gelato is left, you can then drink the melted gelato with the left over espresso and liqueur.  I did a home version where I used gelato, an espresso shot that I got from a local coffee shop and added some Crème de Cacao (since I ran out of Frangelico) and it was still amazing.

Tiramisu
When making a list of coffee desserts, one cannot leave out Tiramisu.  The key ingredients in Tiramisu are coffee, alcohol, cocoa, cream cheese and ladyfingers.  As Alan Jackson once said, "Too much of a good thing… is a good thing."  There are so many variations of this dessert and I suggest you try them all!  Here is a great recipe to get you started.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tiramisu-IV/Detail.aspx

Espresso Bark
If you're a simple person, you're going to love this simple dessert.  Espresso Bark is basically chocolate with coffee beans.  It's a great dessert that you can make any time and whip out when a party erupts.  It is also a great addition to hot coffee and It's a Wonderful Life.  Here is a recipe to start with but I suggest you try adding little things that you enjoy like nuts, sprinkles, etc.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Espresso-Bark/Detail.aspx 

There you are.  Now you know how to feed the coffee addicts at a Christmas party.