Caramel mocha hot chocolate recipe from Werther's

With yet another round of frigid winter air blasting in our direction, now is the perfect time to try out a 

delicious new hot chocolate recipe. This recipe features the always welcome flavor of  Werther’s caramel candies and is sure to please children and adults alike!

CARAMEL MOCHA HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 10 pieces Werther’s Original Baking Caramels, unwrapped
• ½ cup whipped cream

Directions

Heat milk, sugar and coffee in a medium size saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Stir often to keep the milk from scorching. Reduce heat to low then stir in caramels. Stir frequently and allow the caramels to completely melt. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream and reserved chocolate. 

Easy tiramisu recipe

Lady Fingers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

EASY TIRAMISU

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
• 48 ladyfingers
• 3 cups brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Beat together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until smooth and light yellow in color. Fold in marscapone and set aside. Dip each ladyfinger in the brewed coffee, about 1 second on each side, and arrange half of the cookies in a 9X9 pan. Spread with half of the egg yolk-marscapone mixture then top with remaining cookies. Spread another layer of egg yolk-marscapone on top of the cookies, cover and chill until time to serve. Just prior to serving, sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Coffee infused caramels recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Deep, rich and buttery are three words that describe these coffee infused caramels. These candies will delight the taste buds of coffee and caramel lovers alike.

COFFEE CARAMELS

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee
• 1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee, ground to fine powder

Directions
Line a 8X8 pan with aluminum foil and spray it heavily with nonstick spray. Combine sugars, corn syrup, honey, half and half, instant coffee and butter in a saucepan Cook over medium-high heat, until the butter is melted and sugar dissolves. Insert a candy thermometer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer reads between 244 and 248 degrees F. Once at the correct temperature, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with powdered coffee as garnish. Allow pan to rest until candy is firm and cooled, 2-3 hours. Lift foil from pan and flip upside down, peeling foil from candy. Cut caramels into squares as desired with a sharp knife. Wrap in waxed paper to prevent caramels from sticking together.

Cook's Notes-

• if you would like a harder candy, cook to 250 degrees
• these are also delicious when dipped in dark chocolate

Product Review International Delight Iced Coffee

International Delight may be best known for making delicious coffee creamers, but they are expanding their horizons into a new line of products: Iced Coffee. The company describes this new line of products as "the taste of the coffeehouse at home". I must admit, I was skeptical of this claim, as many coffee based products seem to fall just short of providing a true coffeehouse experience in the comforts of my home. The true coffee flavor is either weak or over powered by too much flavoring. Since I have enjoyed many of International Delight's coffee creamers, I decided I would give their Iced Coffee a try.

International Delight's Iced Coffee is made with 100% Arabica beans and features authentic coffeehouse flavors that are expertly blended and come ready to drink straight out of the carton. Three flavors are currently available: original, mocha and vanilla. Knowing International Delight, more flavors are on the horizon.

As I previously stated, I was a little skeptical about trying this product, but I will admit I am glad that I threw caution to the wind. To date, I have only tried the mocha flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor of this drink. It is a delicious blend of coffee and chocolate flavors, with neither overpowering the other. It is like the perfect glass of chocolate milk with a splash of coffee thrown in for a new twist. Unlike chocolate milk, I advise NOT sharing this drink with your kids. If your children are anything like mine, they don't need the coffee buzz that may accompany this beverage.
In honoring the spirit of iced coffee, this drink is supposed to be served over ice, but since it comes straight of out the grocery store's milk cooler, no additional chilling is needed to enjoy this on a hot day. To be honest, serving it over ice may water down the drink and ruin the flavor. The consistency of the iced coffee is thick and creamy, once again, adding it to ice may thin it down too much.
International Delight's Iced Coffee has managed to live up to the reputation the company has cultivated for itself. It is rich, it is creamy and it is full of flavor. I am looking forward to trying the other two flavors and deciding which is my favorite. Another thing I am looking forward to is experimenting with this drink in my kitchen. I am already planning on iced coffee milkshakes and possibly using it to flavor baked goods. With my imagination, the possibilities may truly be endless!

Product Review: Caffe D'Vita Irish Cream Cappuccino

Those of you who know me personally know how much I love getting freebies and reviewing products. Last month, Caffe D'Vita was sponsoring a small contest on their Facebook page in honor of St. Patrick's Day and I was lucky enough to be one of the handful of lucky winners. My bounty? A sample packet of their Irish cream cappuccino. My sample arrived within days of the contest's end and I greatly enjoyed my prize.

Irish cream is traditionally a liqueur made from a blend of Irish whiskey, cream and other ingredients, such as coffee. The most widely known brand is Bailey's Irish Cream. It is commonly served in coffee, as an ingredient in mixed drinks or served as a shot. Caffe D'Vita's cappuccino mix gives you the delicious flavor of Irish cream and coffee without the alcohol.

I must admit, I am fussy when it comes to my coffee drinks. I don't care for an overly strong coffee flavor and a too strong brew seriously upsets my stomach. I was pleasantly surprised that Caffe D'Vita's Irish cream cappucino offered up exactly what I was hoping for-rich coffee flavor without the painful side effects. The flavor of the Irish cream was clearly evident but not overpowering. It was a beautiful marriage of flavors that pleased my tastebuds while warming my belly. The best part of Caffe D'Vita's Irish cream cappiccino was how easy it is to make. Simply heat a mug of water, stir in the powder mix and enjoy! No fancy machines or kitchen gadgets are needed to enjoy this beverage. This makes it a great product for us busy moms.

Caffe D'Vita boasts that it uses Arabica coffee and the finest flavorings and ingredients available, and this shines through in the delicious taste of their cappuccino. Their products are low in fat, contain no hydrogenated oils or trans fats and are gluten free. I have tried other coffee mixes that use hydrogenated oils in their products and I am always left with an oily residue in my mouth after drinking a mug. Not this time! The drink goes down smoothly and doesn't leave a funky film behind.

Caffe D'Vita's Irish cream cappuccino is available for purchase on their website for the home consumer, cafes and retail establishments. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, they are currently running a special where you can purchase 3 canisters of their Irish cream cappuccino and 3 canisters of their mocha cappuccino for $25.00. Each canister weighs a full pound and a case (6 canisters) typically costs $33.90. Custom built cases are $36.00. This is a great savings for cappuccino lovers! If you know you can't drink this much coffee, share the savings with your friends and split the case. At $6.00 a canister, it will save you some serious pennies over stopping at the local coffee shop to get your daily java buzz!

Locally, you can purchase Caffe D'Vita products at Kroger, Meijer and SuperValu. If your favorite store doesn't carry these delicious products, speak with the manager and urge them to add Caffe D'Vita to their coffee aisle. Caffe D'Vita can be found online at the following locations:

• Their website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

In addition to their powdered cappuccino mixes, Caffe D'Vita also sells mixes for smoothies, iced coffees, hot chocolate, espresso and more! If you enjoy coffee, their website is a must visit.