Coffee S'Mores Pie Recipe. Need We Say More?

It's summer and that means s'mores! "S'more what?" "You're killing me, Smalls!" Also, coffee. It is the incredible combination of the two best things on earth. Aside from having coffee in the recipe, this pie goes great with a dark roast coffee.

Ingredients: 

The Crust

• 9 graham crackers. Smashed finely. 
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons of Nutella
• 1 ounce of semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, melted

The coffee ganache

• 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 & 1/4 cups of heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons of fresh coffee grounds

The meringue

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of sugar, white

The graham cracker crust prep

1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and the other ingredients in a mixing bowl. 
2. Once mixed, spread this mixture into a pie tin. Push until firm. 
3. Chill for about 30 minutes. 

The coffee ganache prep

1. Place chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl. 
2. Bring the cream, the coffee, and 2 tablespoons of water to a boil in a small saucepan. 
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let steep for about five minutes. 
4. Strain the cream mix through fine, mesh sieve into the bowl with the chocolate and butter. 
5. Toss the coffee grounds. 
6. Stir the mix until it is all melted and smooth. 
7. Pour this into the chilled crust. 
8. Let set for an hour. 

The meringue

1. Use an electric mixer on medium speed. 
2. Beat the egg whites in a medium sized bowl until they are light and frothy. 
3. Add in sugar in 4 additions to avoid sugar rebounding everywhere. Beat for one minute with each addition. 
4. Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff and glossy. 
5. Spread the meringue over the coffee ganache. Feel free to make it decorative! 
6. Use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue a bit to give it that campfire roasted marshmallow look. 
7. Keep the pie chilled. It can be made 8 hours ahead of time. 

Coffee Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Jubilee Frappe

It's summer. Summer means happiness. Happiness is brought on by chocolate, coffee, and cold drinks. Oh, and cherries. Now let's combine all four things into one big happy frappe!

This frappe is deliciously chocolatey and has a special sweet spot in our hearts with the plump cherry on top.

You can make this frappe with some partially frozen coffee, about 1.5 cups, partially thawed. 1/2 cup of frozen cherries, 1 tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp. of maraschino cherry juice, 1/4 cup of stevia, and 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut milk. This recipe will make about four cups.

Directions: 

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. This will take approximately two minutes. 

If you are interested in the drink but not a huge coffee fan, feel free to add some milk and cubes and make it more of a milkshake! If you want to make the drink real smooth, blend it for a while. If you want to make it thicker, then add in some xanthan gum (1/8 of a teaspoon). Before we mentioned the recipe making four cups, if you add in the xanthan gum, it will stretch it to six cups.

If you are counting your calories, this drink is about 46.2 calories per serving (2 cups is one serving). Fat is 1.6g, 0 cholesterol, 38.1g of sodium, 9.2 carbs, 5.8g of sugar, and .08g of protein.

Enjoy your chocolate cherry jubilee frappe! Any questions? Contact Coffeevines! 

When is the Best Time to Drink Coffee in the Morning?

Many coffee drinkers consume their life-giving coffee first thing after waking up. It sounds like a good idea. Coffee wakes you up and right after getting out of bed is when you seemingly need it most. Although, science has been telling us that the best time to drink coffee is around 10 AM.

If you are indeed the type of person who NEEDS their coffee as soon as they get up, this might not be wonderful news for you. So why is 10 AM the best time? Well, according to research from AsapScience, our cortisol levels peak between 8 and 9 AM; cortisol is the "stress hormone" which is how our bodies naturally wake themselves up.
If you are sipping your coffee during this time, the effect of the caffeine is not helpful.

Aside from 8-9 AM, our peak cortisol times are 12-1 PM (during most of our lunch times), and then at 5:30-6:30 PM.

We should mention that if you are waking up very early or much later than the average person (who wakes up between 7-8 AM), then your peak cortisol times are going to be different. If you are one of these people, just know your peak cortisol time is about an hour after waking up.

So there is another health benefit of drinking fresh ground coffee at home! Or even if you go out and buy your Starbucks coffee or another brand, as long as it's coffee!

What Your Coffee Order Says About You

Coffee is a very popular, and healthy, beverage. Millions and millions of people around the world drink the stuff every morning, afternoon, evening, and night. With so many people around the world drinking coffee, people with varying interests and tastes (pun intended), there is certainly a wide variety of coffee options. 

Our fresh coffee team decided to put a little article together to talk about how your particular coffee order just might describe the type of person you are. Yes, the article is somewhat facetious, although you might find some truth in here, too. 

• The latte lover: Latte drinkers tend to seek out comfort, be chill, and reflect on things. They like to add in some cream and sugar to their coffee, which reminds of them of how there's always a little sweetness in a dark, bitter world. Their mug is often playful and they like to have shirts sporting an interest from their childhood. Like Thundercats. Their ideal way to drink coffee is to lay on the couch or comfy recliner, while wearing moccasins and comfortable jeans. 

• The espresso enthusiast: Always on the move and taking charge. Is that their fourth shot of espresso since the morning status meeting? I've lost count. They like abbreviated words in emails and texts to save time. Of course, they have a loyal personal assistant who is like a gatekeeper at Fort Knox. 

• The cappuccino consumer: The extroverted socialite (to any degree) who is creative and looks on the bright side of life (cue Monty Python). They are attached to multiple screens and conversations at once (whether the conversations are on devices or live will vary). They like to doodle and do other artsy things like paint, make origami, or build Pinterest crafts. They live at coffee shops.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The black coffee bud: The serious one. Straight-laced. Quiet, dedicated, and often a purist. Sometimes enigmatic. Presentation is as it should be: perfectly parted, professional hair, pressed suits (often black but other mute colors are welcome), either has a mustache or clean-shaven, sometimes sports fun socks. 

• The artisan coffee aficionado. The fashionable one, often wearing plaid, a beard or solid stubble, and either glasses or a scarf. If not wearing plaid, then a tight sweater will do. They live outside the mainstream lifestyle, never enters the big chain coffee shops, and they prefer to drink the expensive coffee that was extracted from some animal's fecal matter. Don't be shocked if their Instagram is full of overhead shots of art drawn in the foam (if they get a drink with foam). 

• The frappuccino fanatic. Blogger. Instagrammer. Pinterest poet. They do it all. Their eyes on their smartphone posting a tweet about the latest fashion guides and trends. Of course, they are always on the move and moving quickly. They stay ahead of the trends. 

So which coffee drinker are you? Or do you prefer a simple cup of K-Cup coffee or a cup of fresh ground coffee at home? Whichever you are, we love that you love coffee and express yourself genuinely!