My friend Carrie and I met for coffee last week at a cafe here in Chicago called “The Bourgeois Pig”. I departed from my default order (a mocha) and decided to try their Jamaican Latte, which according to the menu had allspice and honey. It was delicious! During the week I drink office coffee, which as we all know can be slightly lacking (ehem, ehem–gross understatement alert)–so over the weekend, I like to spruce things up by adding any combination of the following: Baileys, Kahlua, hot chocolate mix, vanilla, cinnamon, almond extract, flavored creamers, and gratuitous amounts of heavy whipping cream. This past weekend, I recreated the Jamaican Latte at home. It’s so simple it doesn’t really count as a recipe, but I never would have thought to use the allspice/honey combo, and I must pass on the simple brilliance.

Ingredients

(1 serving)

2/3 cup good quality espresso (makes all the difference!)

1/3 cup half and half + foam

1/8 tsp allspice

2-3 tsp honey

1 TBS bourbon (optional)

Make your espresso. Buy some of the good stuff! Yes, it’s more pricey, but for a treat over the weekend it’s definitely worth it. Be forewarned–I tried using some cheaper stuff, and it was so far from cutting it that I decided to give it to an unsuspecting friend and make a new pot for myself (yes, this is how I treat my friends). But he liked it, OK? OK? (defensive panic setting in quickly)

Heat and froth half and half. I use my awesome hand-frother, but my sister Heidi has a cool little electric one that looks like a miniature immersion blender. You should buy one. And then you should send it to me, since my husband doesn’t think I need any more kitchen gadgets. I’ll do the right thing and listen to him . . . but if one shows up in the mail, we can’t exactly turn it down, eh? (nudge nudge wink wink)

Combine espresso and half and half in a cup of your choice, and stir in the honey and allspice. Taste it and adjust to your desired sweetness level. Add the foam and sprinkle a little allspice on top. After drinking it plain, I tried adding 1 TBS of bourbon–it added a fun bite, but I like it best whiskey-less.

Make it on a rainy day! Or on a hot sunny day with your AC turned up full blast to simulate the coziness of winter. And grab a good book while you’re at it–I’d be a fool if I didn’t use this opportunity as another plug for the fabulous Terry Pratchett.

Have a great weekened everyone!

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