Gingerbread Latte Recipes

 What's Not-ta-like about a Gingerbread Latte!

Yes indeed Starbucks sales them, the local coffee shop in the mall sales them- And my kitchen at home has them too! Oh yes, Gingerbread Latte is a favorite coffee drink for many people. It's a drink that reminds me of the fall season, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled up in one. I guess that's because I drink it during these holidays more than the any other time of the year; come to think of it, these spices are also used the most during this time of the year as well. If you love the taste of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or vanilla; then you will love this hot coffee drink. And Oooo yes! You can't drink it without whipped cream and gingerbread cookies either!

Now let's talk about the recipe. The Internet has many different ones that vary slightly. Many of them call for gingerbread flavored syrup but you need to know that this syrup is seasonal in many markets. But don't let that scare you. You can still make delicious gingerbread lattes by making your own homemade syrup. Recipes Below-

If you can't find the syrup at your market and you don't have the time to make it yourself, you can also order it from several online sources.

🛒Gingerbread Latte Syrup

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Recipe 1 / Ingredients:

1/2-1 fluid ounce gingerbread-flavored syrup (seasonal in some markets)

4 ounces espresso

4-5 fluid ounces steamed milk

2-3 tablespoons frothed milk or whipped cream (optional)

1 pinch ground cinnamon

     Measure syrup into serving mug or cup.

     Brew espresso, and steam the milk, producing a small amount of frothed milk, or crema.

      Add espresso to mug or cup, then steamed milk, and top with froth/crema (or whipped cream, if desired). Sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon and serve.

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Recipe 2 / Ingredients:

2 fluid ounces espresso coffee

2 tablespoons gingerbread flavored syrup

1/2 cup milk, steamed

1/8 cup whipped cream

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

  In a coffee mug, combine espresso coffee with flavored syrup. Pour in steamed milk. Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla powder.

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Homemade Gingerbread Syrup

Gingerbread flavored syrup is available seasonally in some markets. Look for it in the flavored syrup aisle. If you can't find it at your market, you can easily make your very own "Homemade Gingerbread Syrup" that's perfect for gingerbread latte and as a syrup pored over coffee cake and pancakes! You can also order it from several online sources.

Gingerbread Syrup Recipe

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup fine granulated sugar (bakers sugar is great for this)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla in a small to medium saucepan.

Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. When done, pour into a melt-proof container and let cool. It will thicken a bit more once cooled.

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📅 August is National Coffee Month

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Ginger & Whip | A disgustingly, wonderfully sweet gingerbrea… | Flickr

Cocktail Recipes for Tailgate Parties

The typical tailgator is a college-educated 35-44 year old male that spends an average of $500 annually on tailgating food! Tailgating parties generally begin 3-4 hours before kickoff. These NFL-inspired cocktail recipes are sure to get you sloshed and giddy for the game. They were selected based on color, history, climate, and flavor. 

Source: https://www....cipes.html                  Click photo to enlarge

From Visually.

Crantinis Recipe

Love It, Love It, Love It! Passing on another great recipe by Betty Crocker. Do you need a drink for entertaining? Well here's one I know you'll like. The first time I tried this drink I fell in love with it. It looks so beautiful in a martini glass and it even inspired me to craft my own beaded skewers for fruit. One day I'll post about that too. :) 

Crantinis Recipe 
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
• 1/2 cup citrus vodka or plain vodka
• 1/4 cup Triple Sec or orange juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Fresh cranberries, if desired
• Lime slices, if desired

Directions:

1. Fill martini shaker or 3-cup covered container half full with ice. Add all ingredients except cranberries and lime slices; cover and shake.

2. Pour into martini or tall stemmed glasses, straining the ice. Garnish glasses with fresh cranberries and lime slices on picks.

Noel Spritzer Recipe

Noel Spritzer Recipe 
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipes

It's time for mixing and fixing those holiday drinks! This week I'll be blogging all about it and sharing my favorite recipes. Today I'll start the stir stick stirring with a Betty Crocker recipe. I've served this spritzer for 7 or 8 years now and always fall back on it in a pinch. Not only do I serve it during the holidays but I serve it to house guests all throughout the year.

Ingredients:

2 cups chilled dry white wine, nonalcoholic wine or apple juice
1 cup chilled cranberry-apple juice drink
1 cup chilled sparkling water
Apple slices, if desired
Fresh mint, if desired

Directions:

1. Mix wine, juice drink and sparkling water.
2. Serve over ice. Garnish with apple slices and mint.

North Pole Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

North Pole Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipes

Tis the season to round up new recipes for holiday drinks and smoothies. Here's a smoothie recipe made with strawberries and vanilla frozen yogurt. The rim of the glass is dipped in crushed candy which makes it look so festive. Perfect for Christmas Eve drinks with the kids too. I love it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberries in syrup, partially thawed and undrained
1/4 cup water
2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
2 tablespoons vanilla reduced-fat yogurt
1 strawberry-flavored or peppermint candy cane, about 6 inches long, finely crushed
Green decorating gel

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place strawberries and water in blender. Cover and blend on medium-high speed until slushy. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Transfer to 2-cup measure.

2. Wash and dry blender. Place frozen yogurt and reduced-fat yogurt in blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.

3. Place crushed candy cane on small plate. Pipe decorating gel around rim of two 12-ounce glasses. Dip rims into crushed candy.

4. Carefully pour yogurt mixture and strawberries at the same time into glasses, creating a half-and-half design. Serve with large drinking straws if desired.

A Toast To All Things Pumpkin!

Pumpkin Mug

October 
October is National Pumpkin Month, October 26 is National Pumpkin Day & since we're in the last week of the month, it's our last change to make a toast to all things pumpkin. So raise your cups everyone!

We are about to say goodbye 
to October and say hello to November. I for one wish it didn't have to go yet. I just love seeing all the jack-o-lanterns all lit up. Even though pumpkins are still part of the Thanksgiving season in November, it's the end of National Pumpkin Month for October. So this post is in honor of the pumpkin.

As I mentioned on my website... The pumpkin is very versitile. We enjoy growing them in our gardens, we paint and decorate them, we carve them and we enjoy their ornimental fashions in our yards. We cook pumpkin soup, we bake them in the over and eat along side other meat and veggies, we even make sweet pies and pastries with them. We treat ourselves with roasted pumpkin seeds too. We play games with pumpkins and we place pumpkin on our porches and in our window sills. Why we even drink pumpkin spice coffees and milkshakes too. What would the Fall Season be without it? So here's to you pumpkin. We toast you.
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Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 3 cups hot whole milk
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 6 ounces double-strength brewed coffee
• 3 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream
• 3 pinches pumpkin pie spice

Combine the hot milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice in a blender; blend until frothy. Pour the mixture into 3 coffee mugs to about 2/3 full. Pour 2 ounces coffee into each mug. Garnish each mug with whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice. 

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Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

• 1/3 C pumpkin, canned 
• 1/4 – 1/2 C milk
• 1/4 t vanilla
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/16 t cloves
• 1/16 t nutmeg
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 C vanilla ice cream
• 1-2 graham crackers

Mix everything all together and gradually add the milk to the thickness you want.
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Nite Nite everyone, Pam