RECIPE: THE LATEST COFFEE OBSESSION IS BANANA MILK COFFEE!

This is the newest coffee craze straight out of Brooklyn !#BananaMilkCoffee... Who knew? It is so rich and creamy-I love it! It isn't overly sweet or overly 'banana' either. And the perfect way to use that banana about to go bad. I used to have a smoothie with a banana in it for breakfast. Now, I put the frozen banana in my coffee and cut back on calories... You're going to want to try this! Bye, bye Latte!

You can add some different spices to it, if you want. I added some spice infused simple syrup and it was even better.

ICED BANANA MILK COFFEE

INGREDIENTS
1 mug of your favorite cold brew coffee or very strong brewed coffee ( I used Community Coffee Cafe Special), chilled with ice
1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 tablespoon simple syrup ( make sweeter if you want)

DIRECTIONS:

Chill the coffee with ice cubes if you are using brewed coffee. (Make your coffee stronger than normal.)

Whip the banana, milk and simple syrup together using an immersion blender or blender to create a frappe' or to a frothy consistency. Pour over the iced coffee. That's it! (Took me 2 minutes- but I always have frozen bananas in the freezer.)

CLICK FOR MORE COFFEE RECIPES FOR NATIONAL COFFEE DAY....     Thanks, Community Coffee!

PARTY: TAILGATE BRUNCH PERFECT FOR GAME DAY GET TOGETHERS

The nice folks at Community Coffee asked me to throw a party featuring some of my favorite coffee recipes to celebrate National Coffee Day, September 29th.

If you don't know Community Coffee, check them out. Not only do they have one of the best coffees you'll find- (that is why so many restaurants use it) but they have fantastic flavored brews, too: Southern Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Praline,  Hazelnut, French Vanilla... and many more.  I used a few of them for my game day brunch menu---experiment and use your own favorite flavors. Another reason I like Community Coffee is that it is a family owned business with a passion for quality. They give back through their Cash for Schools, Military Match and other community driven programs. I LOVE that!

Coffee is the star of this tailgate brunch with spicy Thai Iced Coffee and the Coffee Glazed Cinnamon Rolls!

In the South, Saturday mornings in the fall are for football, friends and family. We all have our favorite recipes for game day or tailgating parties but by week 3, folks have tired of the wings and burgers and are looking for something different. My game-day brunch menu pairs easy Coffee Glazed Cinnamon Rolls with Cheese Grits, a slice and serve Frittata, coffee-rubbed pulled pork sliders and a spicy Thai Iced Coffee. Cold with a slight bit of spicy heat makes it perfect for these lingering, warm Fall days.

Coffee goes to the next level with spices which warm you up to start the day. Iced Coffee is the perfect tailgate kick off when the weather is warm.

RECIPE: SPICY THAI ICED COFFEE

Summer has gone but in the South, we’ve still got a few warm weeks ahead. Thai Iced Coffee is sweet, smooth, spicy and cool- the perfect party starter for game day. Add a shot of rum or bourbon if you like.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup ground Community Coffee (I used Private Reserve Louisiana Blend)

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/3 teaspoon ground coriander

1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch kosher salt

3⁄4 cup milk (I used 2%)

DIRECTIONS:

Brew coffee with 4 cups water in your coffee maker. This will result in 4 cups of very strong coffee. Pour into a container and refrigerate until chilled. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and the spices.  Add the milk; whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until well chilled.

When ready to serve, fill 4 tall glasses with ice and divide coffee among glasses. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the coffee and serve.

For a large crowd, I will often pre-mix the coffee and milk and allow guests to help themselves. For tailgating, I suggest freezing the coffee and milk mixture in a large container. Put it into your cooler to transport; it not only will keep items in your cooler cold, it will thaw and become slushy. No need for additional ice.

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Use coffee to make the glaze for these easy bake cinnamon rolls; you can also use a flavored coffee like Hazelnut!

RECIPE: HOMEMADE COFFEE GLAZE FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

Whether you make your own from scratch or just want to dress up the can variety of cinnamon roll, you'll love the flavor and richness of the coffee paired with cinnamon.

COFFEE GLAZE FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

Yield: Glaze for 12 cinnamon rolls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons strong coffee

drop vanilla extract

OPTIONAL

1/4 teaspoon coffee liqueur

1/2 teaspoon heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Add all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls. Allow to set slightly before serving.

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COFFEE RUBBED BOSTON BUTT

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for many reasons. It feeds a big crowd without a lot of effort so it's perfect for a game day party. You can shred it for tacos, put it on a bun or do what we did: stuff it into a biscuit!

Use a rub of finely ground coffee (if you don't have a grinder, Community Coffee has one at many stores where you can grind you own beans.

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COFFEE RUBBED BOSTON BUTT (PORK SHOULDER)

PREP TIME: 1 hour     COOK TIME: 3 1/2-4 hours depending on size

INGREDIENTS

 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 ½  tablespoons coffee, finely ground

1 pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt) about 3-1/2 -4 pounds

DIRECTIONS:

Before you plan to cook the pork, take it out of the refrigerator for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together kosher salt and coffee and rub in into the pork, being sure to cover the entire surface of the meat with the mixture. Put the pork in heavy covered cast iron cooker, Dutch oven, or roasting pan. Allow it to sit for one hour before you put it in the oven.  

 Place in the oven. Turn the heat to 275 degrees.  Cook until the port falls apart when you press it with the back of a fork—approximately 3-1/2 to 4 hours or about an hour per pound.  Remove it from the oven and let it rest covered for 15 minutes. (Of course, you can also cook this in your Crock-Pot or slow cooker,)

Shred the pork and serve; you may use it to fill a tortilla, on a bun, or on your favorite biscuit!

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RECIPE: HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE

Summer and lemonade go together like ram-a-lam-a-lam-a.... You know the song.  Here's a delicious tart and refreshing homemade lemonade recipe; so much better than that powdered stuff!

It's really simple. The ratio is four cups of water to one cup fresh squeezed lemon juice plus 1/2 cup of sugar or simple syrup. That's it! If it is really hot and I expect ice to melt as soon as the lemonade hits it, I reduce the water so it isn't diluted.

BASIC LEMONADE RECIPE 

To make enough for 4-5 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice, about 10 lemons

1 cup sugar (more to taste if you like it really sweet and you can substitute simple syrup if you prefer- I always use my LEMON SIMPLE SYRUP)

7 to 8 cups cold water

DIRECTIONS

In a pitcher, add the sugar and the lemon juice and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the water and chill. OR- mix the lemon juice and the water together, adding the simple syrup to taste. Chill. Serve over ice.

Serving Tips: On a hot day, I will use 1-2 cups less water because I know the lemonade will become diluted with the melting ice. Sometimes, I freeze lemonade into ice cubes or freeze large plastic containers of lemonade. I put the lemonade into a large plastic milk jug or other repurposed plastic jug or pitcher. Freeze solid. A few hours before the party, I remove them from the freezer and allow them to become slushy. Soooo good on a hot day!