Cuppa Joe for the Average Joe, or, Buddy can you Spare a Dime?

   In this brutal economic climate, everyone's cutting corners and doing without to make ends meet which, for many, has meant forgoing a daily stop at the local barristo for a steaming cup of gourmet latte to go. And at $4 or so per cup, that noble sacrifice can amount to a substantial chunk of change over the course of a month.

  But it just rots, this doing without thing. And Spike's Kitchen is just not into deprivation or ho-hum food and drink just because the economy's in the tank. No way. Wild horses couldn't drag me there...Fortunately, there's an easy workaround for this particular culinary dilemma.

  Following this simple formula for luscious instant latte mix, you can still enjoy that rich gourmet coffee flavor without sacrificing the family budget.

  Here's what you'll need for the basic mix:

• 1 cup of instant coffee (I particularly like Medaglio D'Oro Instant Expresso, but inexpensive store brands work just fine)
• 1 1/3 cup sugar (more or less, depending on how sweet you like it. I use half this amount, personally)
• 1 cup dry milk powder (or soymilk powder if you're going vegan)
• 1/2 cup of non-dairy powdered creamer
• 1 small package of instant pudding mix (optional - sounds crazy, but this helps everything to dissolve easily)

   This is just the basic formula for the coffee; here's where the fun starts. For gourmet flavor variations:

• cafe vanilla - use vanilla pudding mix
• cafe mocha - substitute up to 1/4 cup of powdered cocoa for an equal amount of coffee, and use chocolate pudding mix; for a Mexican flavor, add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  
• caramel - use brown sugar instead of white sugar, and butterscotch pudding mix
• cafe vienna -  use brown sugar and vanilla pudding mix, add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
• sugar-free - I like to use xylitol in sugar-free mixes, available at most health food markets, OR, you may prefer to use the equivalent measure in your preferred sugar substitute.
  

  Place everything together in your food processor and buzz until powdery and well combined, or mash it all together in a bowl using a fork. Store in a cool, dry place. To use, combine 3 tablespoons of latte mix with 8 ounces of hot water. If you're feeling a bit decadent, top with whipped cream and enjoy guilt-free because, depending on where you shop for the basic ingredients, this delightful and satisfying cuppa joe works out to about 50 cents per 8 ounce serving. What's not to love?

  Thanks for playing in Spike's Kitchen today; come again soon!

Note: For Fathers' Day, I had fully intended to put up a host of tamale recipes honoring my late father, who loved tamales better than anything in this world except popcorn, sailing, fishing and his children. We went into high alert yesterday, instead, packing a "bug-out bag" in anticipation of evacuating ahead of wildfire inside the Flagstaff city limits. Spent the day listening to radio updates, photographing air tankers and helicopters flying over the house, and volunteering to assist with local relief efforts. Thankfully, we were not required to evacuate, and the fire laid down overnight. You can read the full story here. Tamales and tales of Spike's Dad will be forthcoming soon, I promise. Meanwhile, happy Fathers' Day to all; I hope it's spent among people you love, who love you in return.

 

 

Comments

[Barbara Hagerty]

Glad to know that you're safe!!! Stay safe!!! I'm afraid that this AZ fire season is just beginning.

Your latte mix sounds wonderful, but is there a brand of instant pudding that isn't filled with chemicals? I've never looked for it in Whole Foods, so maybe there is one that I don't know about? Same with non-dairy creamer...isn't it completely chemical? I'm a milk fan and Amy loves soy milk.

Take care and let me know if you need anything.

[sharon]

great questions, barbara! i was going to address those issues in the post, but rushed to wrap up when the fire started...whole foods does have healthier versions of instant puddings, and so do many of the larger local health food stores. they also stock healthier versions of instant creamers. if you have trouble finding either of these, drop me an email, and i'll play with kitchen chemistry a bit, to find a substitute for the pudding mix. hmmm...brain's already chewing on it! xanthan gum, powdered milk...what else? lol!

thanks for well wishes! we're staying put and pretty safe, for now, if somewhat rattled. will give a holler if things go critical up here. you are so kind...stay safe, yourself, you hear? i know phoenix is a tinderbox just now...

good hunting at the market! let me know what you find.

[Kris (HTGRS)]

I love the smell of this stuff! And, it has lingered in the kitchen all day long...

[sharon]

fyi, y'all - kris doesn't drink coffee; she can't stand the taste of it! loves the way it smells, though, and i am more than happy to indulge her... ;^]

oh, btw - y'all meet kris! my non-cooking, nasa geekess, htgrs (honest-to-god-rocket-scientist) companion...