Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

Since I have already exposed myself as a hardcore coffee drinker, here is another one of my weaknesses...

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

These things are AMAZING. I first had some when my parents brought a baggie home from their vacation. I was extremely hesitant. Who wants to eat a bitter, roasted coffee bean? Well was I in for a surprise! They are now probably my favorite piece of chocolate.

The only problem is, they are very pricey. Which means I have only had a handful since I discovered the wonderful combination. Until this week.

For some reason, it had never crossed my mind to make my own, until my sister made me try a spoonful of coffee grounds and chocolate chips. (crazy, I know, but I had my eyes closed) Then it was like a light bulb went off above my head! Why not make my own?!? Honestly, the grounds and chocolate chips tasted just like what we bought at the store. (ok, may not that good, but close enough)  Sooo, I set to work with a bag of dark chocolate chips and a bag of hazelnut flavored coffee beans.

To make your own you need your favorite type of chocolate and whole coffee beans. This time, I used dark chocolate, but I would like to try milk chocolate the next time I make them. 

Some people like to roast the coffee beans before coating them. Personally, I just used them right out of the bag. I like the crunchiness of them and the texture. If you want to roast them first, put them in a preheated oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

First of all, you need a double boiler or a saucepan and a glass bowl to melt the chocolate in. Once the chocolate is melted, add the coffee beans. Mix them around until they are thoroughly coated with chocolate. Other directions say to use a slotted spoon to let the excess chocolate to drip off. But... we're newlyweds and our kitchen isn't completely stocked with utensils yet. So, I used plastic knives to pick them out of the bowl. It works either way!

If they have an excessive amount of chocolate on them still, (not a bad thing, especially if you're not particularly fond of the coffee beans) try to get them into the freezer as soon as possible to prevent the chocolate from melting into a puddle around the bean.

And there you have it! Homemade Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans, at a fraction of the cost. I have a feeling these will make great homemade gifts for those that are crazy about coffee, combined with a cute coffee mug!

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer

I am a coffee addict. I admit it. In an average week, I go through about two 32 oz bottles of store-bought liquid creamer. I switch the flavors around. One week I have Almond Joy and Cinnabon, the next it may be White Chocolate and Raspberry. Sometimes I'll go back to the plain 'ol hazlenut or french vanilla, but most of the time I experiment with new flavors. Now, in  my defense, staying up until 7am isn't the easiest without a caffeine boost, and hey, why not make it tasty in the process, right?

Well, the other day I was blog surfing (don't know if it's an actual term, but it works) and I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer at Homemaking on the Homestead! (Lots of good pumpkin recipes there too!) I have been scouring the local stores for this with no luck, for the last month! So, I gathered the ingredients and made some this afternoon. I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out, so I only made one batch at first. After testing it out with my cappuccino maker (makes some AWESOME froth!) it was a hit! I went ahead and made creamer out of the whole 32 oz of half & half that I bought. I'll easily go through it all in the 7-10 day lifespan, especially after sharing my success with my co-workers!

After realizing how awesome this creamer was, I started to wonder what else am I missing out in the world of homemade creamers? Really, if I can make it at home with REAL ingredients I'd much rather do that than look at the list on the store bought bottle and have no idea what's even in it! So I googled it! I now have an entire list of homemade creamers, that sound awesome! And I will share them with you as I try them out at home :)

So, here is the first one...

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer

·         1 cup half-n-half

·         ½ cup cane juice crystals (can use white sugar instead)

·         3T canned pumpkin

·         ½ t vanilla

·         ½ t cinnamon

·         ¼ t ginger

·         1/8 t nutmeg

·         1/8 t cloves

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat until cane juice crystals or sugar is dissolved and ingredients are well combined. Enjoy in a hot cup of coffee. Store in refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Do you have anything that you can make better at home than store-bought? Share it! I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below :)