It’s day two and a half into this snowstorm. The northeast is getting pounded with a snowstorm, and it just won’t stop. I believe we have over 30 inches of snow by this point. My work has us working remotely, which is nice since I wouldn’t be able to leave my house anyway, haha.
This morning was also an early one for me. I have recently gotten very into Animal Crossings Hew Horizon in the switch, so I woke up before work to search for a new villager for my town. It was well worth waking up early since I found a great new villager to add to my island.
It just feels like one of those days, though. Up early, not incredibly motivated, and wishing for the days past if true snow days. This made me turn to my French Press. Quick and easy to brew with high flavor impact.
Today I choose my Tanzania coffee I have from Atlas Coffee Club. I love being a part of Atlas Coffee Club and love the variety of coffees they send me!
This Tanzania coffee was a lighter roasted coffee with complex flavors. The tasting notes are black tea, blackberry, and milk chocolate. I get the mouthfeel of black tea, the blackberry’s tartness, and the subtle sweetness and flavor of the milk chocolate.
This morning was slow. Thank goodness! I have been very busy the past week, and I was thankful to get some extra rest this morning.
I didn’t have the drive to pull out all of my brewing gear, so I went with coffee this morning that was easy and delicious. Since the whipped coffee trend hit the internet last spring, I have made this treat many times. I love frothy coffee, so I instantly fell in love with this light and frothy coffee drink.
I am thankful for this delicious and easy coffee today and having a slow Sunday!
Whipped or Dalgona coffee hit the internet by storm in 2020. I quickly fell in love with this drink’s light and fluffy nature. I have made this coffee drink so many times now and have honed my favorite way to make it. Luckily, my recipe is not only delicious, but it is also dairy and vegan!
I think the kind of ingredients you use in this drink influences the quality of the drink as much as the process of actually making the drink itself. I have used various kinds of milk to see which was best and was deliberate when choosing what instant coffee I use for my recipe.
This ingredients…
For instant coffee, I use Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee (instant and freeze-dried). This instant coffee is more on the expensive side for instant coffee, but it is well worth it. It is super high quality and lasts a while.
For the milk, I use oat milk. I have tried various kinds of milk and landed on this as my favorite of the upper coffee. I tend to prefer oat milk with sweet, robust flavor drinks like chai lattes and whipped coffee. Specifically, I use the Oatly brand, Full-Fat milk. I like its thick, sweet flavor and think it pairs well with the pungent whipped coffee. I also like the full-fat version because it is packed with vitamins And DHA omega 3!
I usually use just regular white sugar and the well water from my sink. If you want to level up this drink, even more, you could get high-quality sugar and use high-quality water.
For the process….
I begin with a shallow metal mixing bowl. I have deeper mixing bowls that I use for baking, but I have a mixing bowl that is shallow with a wide top. This shallow bowl allows for more air to get into the bowl while mixing, helping the mixture to get nice and fluffy!
I googled some photos for reference so you can see a shallow bowl versus a deeper bowl.
The rule of thumb for any whipped coffee recipe is 1:1:1 ratios for the instant coffee, sugar, and water. For about 1.5-2 drinks, I use about 1.5 – 2 tbsp of each ingredient. I also judge it by the number of people I am making it for. I typically use 1 tbsp for each person who will be having it!
So when I make it for myself, since I enjoy a second half a cup, I typically use 1.5 tbsp is each. So 1.5 tbsp of instant coffee, sugar, and warm water.
I add the instant coffee and the sugar and then add the warm water. I give the mixture a little stir to make sure the instant coffee and sugar have dissolved a bit. They do not need to be dissolved entirely, though.
Then I use a hand mixer to mix the instant coffee, sugar, and water mixture. I have used a hand frothed and have whipped it by hand, and a hand mixer is the best and quickest way to make whipped coffee.
I begin by starting on the lowest setting just to start mixing the mixture. At this point, the mixture will be dark in color. As I start to see the mixture frothing, which only takes a few seconds, I turn up the mixing speed. I go slow, adding each speed, one at time, each setting used for a few seconds to make sure the mixture is mixing well. By the time you get to the highest mixing setting, the mixture will look a bit lighter.
I leave the mixer on the highest setting while making sure to hit each inch of the mixture. As you mix, the mixture will get lighter in color. You can tell the mixture is ready when it is light brown, and you see soft ripples when you move the mixture through an area of the mixture. Once the whole mixture looks like this, you are done.
Next, I stick the whipped coffee mixture in the fridge for a few minutes while cleaning the mixer and getting my milk ready. This allows the mixture to settle, cool, and firm up.
I love using clear glass to see how much milk there is, how much of the whipped coffee I put in, and its aesthetics. I pour my oat milk about 2/3 of the glass and then add the whipped coffee to fill the other 1/3 of the glass. I then use a spoon to swirl the milk and whipped coffee together a bit. I like layered coffee drinks, and I don’t mix mine too much because I like the distinct flavors coming together.
I usually have a little whipped coffee mixture left and stick that back in the fridge and add a little more milk and whipped coffee when I’m running low to give myself seconds!
I was up pretty early this morning. Due to the pending snow on Monday, I had to travel to my allergist’s office to pick up the serum for my weekly allergy shots. The office is about an hour and a half away from my house, and they are only open until 12 pm.
On mornings like this, I tend to stop at Starbucks, but I weirdly wasn’t in the mood for a creamy and sugar coffee drink. I wanted something yummy, light, and not too sweet.
One of my favorite coffee shops in the Lehigh Valley is called The Joint. There are two locations, but I love the hole in the wall shop off of Broad Street in Bethlehem. They have pour-over coffee options, which I love. They roast their coffee and have so many options for their pour-overs.
My go-to pour over there is their Bourbon Barrel coffee. They store these unroasted beans in bourbon barrels for 30 days before roasting. This coffee is robust, full of flavor, and naturally a tad sweet.
This was such a wonderful treat for an early and long car ride on a Saturday morning.
The commute from Milford to Scranton typically takes about an hour. On mornings like this morning, this means I’m more in a treat to self kind of mood. I usually do the hour commute every other Friday. This allows me to treat myself without feeling like I’m overindulging.
Henry’s on Clay is a cute coffee shop in Dunmore, PA. It is also only about 5 minutes from my work. They have good coffee and delicious gluten-free breakfast, lunch, and brunch options!
You can place an order ahead of time and schedule a pickup time. I love this feature because I place my order in bed, get ready, drive an hour, and pick up my breakfast on my way to work. Easy Peasy.
This morning for breakfast is got an omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and Munster cheese. ( I know, weird, but it’s my fav cheese). And I got their home fries; Henry’s home fries are out of this world!!
For coffee, even though it’s in the single digits in the Pennsylvania mountains today, I got cold brew. Henry’s had unique flavors, so I got a large cold brew with cookie butter flavoring and oat milk. It’s decadent yet not too sweet.
This morning was so cold, and I just knew I needed something warm. I am in Milford today, so my local coffee options are Milford’s Daily Grind and Sparkomatic Cafe and Talkhouse.
I tend to favor the Sparkomatic due to their menu, coffee selection, and overall vibe. They have an extensive allergy/ diet menu. They offer many Gluten Free, Vegetarian, and Vegan options. I love getting their tagalong cookies that are gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. They are out of this world.
Today though, the Sparkomatic was closed due to some renovations, so my next option was Milford’s Daily Grind.
Milford’s Daily Grind is a great grab and goes, quick coffee option in town. I tend to get a latte from them since they have solid espresso and a wide variety of flavoring options.
This morning I got a large hot latte with whole milk with one flavor pump of vanilla and one flavor pump of brown sugar cinnamon. It is just the warming and cozy drink I needed.
So does the infamous question “does size really matter” apply to coffee grounds? Oh yeah, it does!
Brewing next level coffee at home requires patience and dedication. But many don’t have the time nor the patience for coffee brewing. One way to help increase the taste and flavor of coffee without adding too much extra work is considering your grind size.
Each coffee brewing method requires a specific grind size for optimal flavor. This allows the coffee and water and brewing method to work in unison to create the best cup of coffee possible.
Luckily, most ground coffee you get in the store is more likely to be a medium ground, which is perfect for your automatic coffee maker at home! If you’re looking to up your automatic brewing game, try grinding your coffee at home!
If you are interested in brewing with other brewing methods, grinding your coffee is easier than locating specific grind sizes of coffee beans to brew with. Like I stated before, most bag coffee in grocery stores is a medium grind, which isn’t optimal for other brewing methods. This makes finding the specific grind size you need harder. If you were to buy whole beans and grind the coffee yourself, you could use your favorite beans in any brewing method you choose!
Here are the steps you need to take to level up your coffee brewing by choosing the right grind size.
Step One: choose your coffee brewing method. Grab yourself a $10 French press or dust off the percolator your grandmother passed down to you!
Step Two: research what grind size is needed for optimal brewing. For cold brew and French press, you’ll need a coarser grind size. For espresso and aero press, you’ll need a finer grind size.
Step Three: look into buying a coffee grinder. You don’t need an expensive grinder to get started. I began brewing coffee with a $15 coffee/spice grinder. Even though I recommend grinding your coffee, if your grind size is supposed to be a medium grind, you’re in luck that you can grab some grounds from the grocery store no problem!
Step Four: choose your favorite coffee beans – make sure to grab them whole if you’re grinding them yourself.
Step Five: figure out the grind setting on your grinder and grind that coffee! I always recommend grinding it right before you brew it to have the freshest coffee, but you definitely can grind ahead of time if you need to!
Step Six: brew your coffee with your newly ground coffee and enjoy!
& it’s that easy to have a better cup of coffee! Brewing extra delicious coffee doesn’t need to happen overnight, nor does it require fancy equipment. Do what you can, where you can, however you can. Small steps collected over time lead to stellar coffee!
If you have any questions about grind size, drop them in the comments! & if you like this guide, keep an eye out for more in the future!
I have spent this holiday season trying new coffees! Here are my top 3 that I recommend trying before the holidays are over.
1. Irish Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks
The Irish Cream Cold Brew is a stunning take on a cold brew drink. It’s everything cozy about winter and the holidays in a cup of cold brew. I love the smoothness of cold brew so the creamy taste of the Irish Cream and the sweet cold foam really makes this drink stand out. If you’re looking for a cold holiday drink or just something not traditional, I really recommend this drink at Starbucks!
This drink took me by surprise. I enjoy going to Starbucks now and then but didn’t realize they had this. I tried it at this cool local coffee shop called the Frisky Goat Coffee House in Milford, Pennsylvania. I have never loved eggnog but with the holidays underway and the new year coming up thought that it would be a neat thing to try. I was blown away by this drink! The eggnog flavor was subtle and paired very well with the espresso.I must also compliment the craftsmanshipof the barista for this latte too. It was extremely well made with the perfect amount if foam for a latte.
If you are no where near the Frisky Goat Coffee House, Starbucks also has this drink. I have never tried the Starbucks version though. So until I do, it doesn’t have my stamp of approval.
The classic peppermint mocha. This is my go to holiday drink at Kay’s Daily Grind in Daleville, Pennsylvania and Starbucks. I love peppermint, chocolate, and coffee so this really is a solid go to for me. I think is captures fresh, warm, and cozy in a cup. I love the local coffee shop Kay’s Daily Grind and that is typically where I get this drink. My recommendation is to get it with have the flavoring and sweetener wherever you get it. I don’t love super sweet drinks and think it can be too powerful with full flavor. I think this drink when half sweetened is delicious yet subtle.
Even though these are my favorites this season, there a so many good coffee options out right now. I have yet to try something that tastes like gingerbread this season but I’m hoping I will soon!
Comment your favorite holiday coffee drink below! 🎄☕️
