Sugar & Spice by Celeste

An Iced Caramel Macchiato was one of the things I was MOST excited about making once I had an espresso machine.  They are my absolute favorite Starbucks drink, and being able to recreate them at home has been amazing (not to mention a money saver!).  They may sound super fancy, but they are totally easy to whip up. With a Macchiato, it's all about aesthetics.  It has distinctive layers of caramel/vanilla at the bottom, milk in the middle, and gorgeous swirls of espresso that sort of dance around the edges of the glass.  A gentle swirl before drinking makes it all come together perfectly, and there's just something about those delicious globs of caramel at the bottom of the glass.  I never FULLY incorporate those when stirring, because they are just so delicious when they make their way up the straw. Enjoy, friends! Celeste’s Iced Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks Copycat Recipe!) Ingredients: 1 Tbsp caramel sauce 1 Tbsp vanilla sauce Ice 8-10 oz. milk (whatever y...

Oh, how I adore dark chocolate and coconut paired together.  Throw in some toasted almonds and something that I can enjoy with a homemade latte, and I've got myself the perfect snack. It's been a while since I've made biscotti, and I forgot how easy it truly is.  I have a few other biscotti recipes here on the blog -  Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti and Dreamy Coconut Biscotti , just in case you'd like additional ideas, too. When brain-storming ideas for potential flavors for this batch, my mind kept drifting back to an Almond Joy candy bar.  I adapted a recipe for Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti from Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking and switched things up a good bit.   I filled these with shredded coconut and toasted almonds, plus added a pretty coat of dark chocolate on the outside and a sprinkling of more coconut. The results? Complete delicous-ness! Almond Joy Biscotti Adapted from:  Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking Ingredients: 2 cups all purpo...

Happy Friday!  So, I must admit...I made this  Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce  earlier in the week with one main goal in mind - Salted Caramel Lattes - and many of them!  And let me just say...they have indeed been glorious! The caramel sauce in this latte recipe is more flavor-packed than the store-bought kind.  So, instead of the 2 tablespoons that I usually add to lattes, this one is plenty sweet with just 1 tablespoon.  However, definitely feel free to adjust to your taste. I love the depth of flavor the homemade sauce brings to this.  And it wouldn't be complete without a dash of sea salt over the top. Come along and make a latte with me in the following video! Celeste's Salted Caramel Latte Ingredients: 1 Tbsp Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce 8 oz of your favorite milk 2 shots freshly brewed, hot espresso Dash of Flaky/Coarse Sea Salt Extra Caramel Sauce to drizzle over the top   Directions: In your favorite coffee mug, add 1 Tbsp Homemade Salte...

When my husband and I visited Rome, Italy, we stopped into a little cafe one day and ordered Nutella Cappuccinos.  We wandered over to a small table covered with a black and white photo of Audrey Hepburn and took a seat.  The smell of freshly brewed espresso infused every inch of the space while we waited.     The hustle and bustle of the busy city streets may have only been just a few steps away, but inside that cafe, we were about to be in coffee heaven. It was love at first sip. These cups of Italian espresso perfection had Nutella artfully smudged on the inside of the cup and were topped off with a sprinkling of cinnamon.  They were frothy, foamy, and perfectly flavored with chocolate hazelnutty goodness.   So naturally, I figured that it's only right for me to recreate this deliciousness at home, now that I have an espresso machine.   Friends, this cappuccino is one that you NEED in your life.  Trust me.   The original inspiration -...