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.

The Infamous Cake Balls

Today I shall share with you the recipe for my infamous chocolate covered cake balls. They are so easy, it is going to BLOW YOUR MIND! All of these items may be found at Target.

Ingredients:

• Box of cake mix, try not to use extra moist but sometimes that is all they have.
• Can of frosting, premade just adds to the simplicity.
• 1/2 pound coverture chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate works best.

How you do it:

1. Make the cake. Follow all directions on the box. When the cake is done and still warm, mix it by hand with the frosting. DO NOT USE A MIXER! Place it in the fridge overnight.
2. To melt the chocolate, boil water in a small sauce pan, over medium heat. Chop up chocolate into small pieces and place in a metal mixing bowl. Place that bowl over the boiling water and stir. This is the best way to melt chocolate without having to worry about it burning to the pan.
3. Scoop out cake mix with a small ice cream scoop (or a spoon works just fine) and place in small paper cups. Drizzle melted chocolate over the balls. Add sprinkles for extra goodness.
4. If you wish to make these more like a truffle, I would suggest scooping out the cake mix and placing the balls on a pan and freezing them. This way they will stay together better when you dip them in cholcoate. You will need closer to a pound of chocolate for this.

Chocolate:

I use good old Baker's brand chocolate that you can find at the grocery store. They come in 1/2 pound/8oz packages. It is decently priced and works well.

Here are my Christmas Cake Balls. I used white cake, vanilla frosting, semi-sweet chocolate and Christmas sprinkles!

Cranberry Appetizer Meatballs

Here is a great cold weather appetizer! Originlly from The Taste of Home Cookbook and revised a little by myself!

The Meatballs

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup miched fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoon finely shopped onion
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 garlic gloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pound ground beef

1. Mix everything except the meat together. Then mix in the meat, this works best by just getting your hands dirty and going for it! (hint: not a bad idea to defrost the meat so its not so cold on your hands.)
2. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Place in shallow baking pan and place in oven. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer meatballs to a slow cooker or chafing dish.

The Cranberry Sauce

• 1 can whole-berry Crnberry sauce (16 oz)
• 1 bottle chili saice (12 oz)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Pour over meatballs. Serve warm.

Pasta with Bacon

This is a variation on a recipe that I can never remember the name of.

Ingredients:
1 box of pasta
1 glove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon onion, minced
1 cup parmesan cheese
4 eggs
6 strips of bacon (chopped)
Parsley

Cook the pasta with the garlic and onions. Prepare the bacon separately. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. When pasta is done strain and return to pot. Use low heat. Add bacon, eggs, cheese and parsley to taste. When eggs are all cooked (will look like scrambled eggs) you are done! No toppings necessary, just dig in!

Note: be sure to time it so the pasta isn't sitting around waiting for the meat to finish cooking. It is mostly the heat from the pasta that will cook the eggs.

As a healthier alternative you can substitute chicken (cubed) for bacon and egg whites for whole eggs.

Onion Chip Dip

This weekend I made a dip that I want to share with the world.

Ingredients:
8oz. Sour Cream
1 package Cream Cheese
Minced garlic/ garlic powder
Minced onion
Dill

Soften the cream cheese and mix it with the sour cream. Add the onions and garlic as you like. I would recommend less garlic than onion. 1-2 tablespoons of fresh onion worked really well for me. Then add the dill! If you don't like dill you could always add parsley, oregano, any green herb or nothing at all! Plain onion dip is always a good thing. Then let it refrigerate until cold and EAT!

The fresh onion is the most important flavor here.