Coffee: Three Easy Winter Upgrades

For me, winter and coffee are a perfect combination. The coffee pumping through my veins helps me survive misty sluggish mornings and frosty winter nights. The best part is that coffee is more than just a full-bodied morning-pick-me-up. The little astounding amalgams found in coffee beans are a potent source of salubrious nutrients and antioxidants. Its antiviral properties combat the cold-inducing pathogens circulating across Lahore’s smog-filled air. Whenever I find myself running out of vigor, I simply chug a cup of coffee.

As someone who is fond of their daily cuppa, I consider myself an expert coffee maker. After experimenting with multiple recipes, I’ve come across a few that I regularly turn to when I want to move away from plain black coffee. Don’t get me wrong, black coffee is a classic. However, it’s never a bad idea to shake things up a bit, is it?

If you find yourself looking for a more adventurous take on coffee, here are three of my tried, tested and trusted recipes. You should add these to your bookmarks for a cozy winter ahead

Café au lait, a French phrase, means “coffee with milk.” This oh-so-creamy coffee is perfect for the ones who yearn for a cream rich coffee. Its smooth finish and frothy brew give perfect kick-start mornings and guards from winter’s cold. If you can’t find half and half in the market, check out this recipe to prep some at home. Additionally, you can replace vanilla bean with a drop or two of vanilla extract.

Half-and-half  1 ½ cup

Whole milk 1 ½ cup

Sugar 2 tbsp.

Vanilla bean 1

Brewed Coffee 3 cups

Mix the half-and-half, milk, and sugar in a pot.

Extract the vanilla seeds from the vanilla bean.

Now add the vanilla bean seeds (or extract) to the milk.

Simmer on low flame for 20 minutes.

Remove vanilla bean from the milk.

Whisk by hand for 1 minute.

Pour together equal amounts of coffee and mixture.

Serve it up!

This delicious four-ingredient recipe is a quick fix for my lazy mornings. I find myself bursting with energy the moment I ingest this minty cuppa. Prepare to indulge in pure peppermint mocha ecstasy. I admit, this may not be for everyone and a lot of you may be confused by the combination entirely. However, give it a chance and it may just become your new favorite drink.

Brewed Coffee 1/2 cup

Peppermint extract  2 drops

Nonfat milk 1/3 cups

Dark chocolate syrup   2 tbsps.

Whipped cream (optional)

Chocolate curls (optional)

Brew coffee (of your choice) and pour into a cup.

Now stir chocolate syrup and peppermint extract into the coffee

Add both as per your own taste 

Whisk in milk, you may use nonfat.

Perk it up with whipped cream or chocolate curls.

Enjoy!

When I’m in a mood to treat myself to a sweet cheat, I make this uber delicious Caramel Macchiato. This vanilla flavored creamy milk coffee with the sweetness of caramel takes little longer to make than the other recipes. However, it is certainly worth the effort. Whip this up when you have guests over and they’ll be begging you for the recipe, I promise that.

Brewed coffee ½ cup

Steamed milk 8 ounces

Sugar 1-2 teaspoons

Caramel syrup 3 teaspoons

Vanilla Syrup 1⁄2 teaspoon

Whipped cream (optional)

Brew yourself a strong cup of coffee.

Add vanilla syrup to the coffee grinds.

Pour in the steamed milk.

Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, and caramel syrup.

Stir the mixture briskly for a minute.

Top it with whipped cream and drizzle caramel.

Don’t forget to take a picture!

There you have it, three divine coffee concoctions with three distinct flavors. You’re bound to have a favorite, don’t forget to tell me which one!