Espresso Archives - Cooking In Stilettos™

Mornings Call For Mocha Muffins and #KACraftCoffee

December 30, 2015 by Aly 13 Comments

Mocha Muffins are a delicious way to start the day. Dark chocolate and strong coffee are baked into the perfect grab and go breakfast bite and fabulous to enjoy with your favorite cup of java!

This post has been sponsored by Single Edition Media for KitchenAid.

Coffee and I have been BFFs ever since I can remember. Whether it was stealing sips of coffee from my dad’s steaming mug of coffee or my mother’s tall glass of iced java, I knew from early on that coffee was my thing. My adoration of coffee goes beyond the mug as well as I often love incorporating it into recipes. Whether it is sweet and using coffee to add a bit of kick to a chocolate recipe or taking it on a savory route with perhaps a coffee rub on a fabulous burger, coffee is versatile.

Can I make coffee? I have to say that the jury might agree that I am much better than when I first started on my culinary journey. I no longer make cop coffee thanks to SL teaching me how to brew the perfect cup. I have had a single cup brewer for the longest and finally decided the time has come to upgrade to a quality coffee brewer. As I trust their products, I knew I had to look at KitchenAid’s line of craft coffee brewers. What I love about KitchenAid is their appliances are made to last. Trust me when I say I am tough on my kitchen tools so I wanted a coffee maker that can take some heavy use but still would look gorgeous in the kitchen….

Wrapping Up #CookieWeek With Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

November 7, 2014 by Aly 8 Comments

Welcome to the last day of Cookie Week, hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Susan of The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen! We’ve teamed together with 10 other talented bloggers to bring you 5 fantastic days of cookie recipes to get you in to the holiday spirits. We hope you’ve enjoyed this week as much as we did! Don’t forget to check out and enter our fantastic giveaway and our #CookieWeek Pinterest board full of all the cookie recipes you’ve see here this week!

It seems like we were JUST starting Cookie Week and here we are, wrapping up the final day of what has been a week of cookie inspiration. This group of bloggers that I have been thrilled to share cookie recipes with are amazing and I really have to commend them for some seriously awesome cookie luv they have shown this week and the ideas that they brought to the table (or cookie jar) have been nothing short of awesome. I have so many ideas for the holidays thanks to them. And major major kudos to Kim and Susan for an amazing job that they did keeping us all on track.

OK – enough chatter from me, let’s get to the cookies I brought to the party – these Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies. Whenever I make chocolate treats, I always have a little jar of instant espresso nearby. There’s something about melding the flavors of coffee and chocolate that just makes the treats taste so rich and chocolatey. I can’t explain it but, in my opinion, it’s a must have ingredient. When I went to gather the ingredients, I realized that I was out of my favorite chocolate bars that I love to use in treats and would have to punt. I grabbed some bittersweet chocolate chips and decided to see what magic I could rustle up. I played with a recipe from Martha Stewart and this cookie is perfect for your next coffee break, a mid-day pick me up or on the go. Would I recommend having one late at night, ummmmm.. nope. I’m all about the espresso but I do think this made me a bit more “aware” and if I had these late night, I fear that insomnia would strike. Make these for the holidays and gift them to the chocolate and coffee lover in your life. But make a double batch and hide some away for yourself for those days you need a bit of a boost….

A Spicy Mocha With Chocolate Whipped Cream To Start The Day #BrunchWeek

May 8, 2014 by Aly 28 Comments

This divine Spicy Mocha with Chocolate Whipped Cream is a delicious way to start the day. Rich chocolate and espresso are simmered with chiles and then dolloped with a chocolately whipped cream for a bit of an indulgence. Forget the coffee shop – this is so much better!

Disclosure: Many thanks to #BrunchWeek sponsors – while I was not compensated for these recipes for #BrunchWeek, I did receive some of their products to play in the kitchen with, like the Imperial Sugar in today’s recipe. As you know, I don’t use anything or recommend anything I don’t personally adore.This post may contain links to products I adore and trust in my kitchen. Thank you for supporting Cooking In Stilettos.

Welcome to the second annual Brunch Week hosted by Terri of Love and Confections and Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen! Join us May 5th through 10th while we celebrate the deliciousness of brunch and to prepare for Mother’s Day and summer brunching season. We have 32 bloggers bringing you their best brunch game, from cocktails to eggs benedict to donuts, there is something for everyone this week. Our amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for a gigantic giveaway, so make sure to enter!

I have a divinely warming mug of Spicy Mocha with Chocolate Whipped Cream to share with you today.

I’m quite the coffee gal – and if espresso is in the mix – even better. There’s nothing like some fantastic espresso percolating on the stovetop. Melded with some warm chocolatey milk spiced with cinnamon and chilies – even better. Top it with a creamy chocolatey whipped cream – perfection….

Tried and True: Kahlúa Vanilla Espresso Martini #KahluaHoliday #PinItToWinIt

November 12, 2013 by Aly

One tried and true cocktail I adore is a good Espresso Martini. I still remember my very first one – I was out to dinner with some fabulous friends in Orlando and the minute my eye caught the words “Espresso Martini” on the menu, I knew I had to try. I pestered the bartender relentlessly until he wrote down the recipe for me. To this day, if I see an Espresso Martini on the menu, it makes my cocktail decision easier but I have yet to ever attempt to make one on my own – until now.

Kahlúa gave me the inspiration to head to the bar hutch to channel my inner cocktail gal. The first cocktail I knew I had to make with Kahlúa Classic Coffee Liqueur was an Espresso Martini. I decided to add a hint of vanilla to the mix with Absolut® Vanilia vodka and it was the perfect accent note. Obviously, you can use the classic vodka/Kahlúa mix with your espresso and it will turn out perfect every time. Just remember it is a 2:1 ratio….