There’s something really satisfying about being thrifty. I’m one of those people that responds to compliments on my attire with a “I dug this out of the clearance bin!” Ok, I’m not that crazy about a deal, but almost. I’ll admit, I’ve purchased clothing at 5 Below- it was a “Mo’ Mummies, Mo’ Problems” Halloween shirt. I just had to! One of my favorite ways to save a penny and pat myself on the back is to repurpose items I no longer have use for. I do it with furniture and clothing from time to time, but it manifests most often with food. I hate wasting, so I’ll throw leftover bacon in a frittata or season last nights’ chicken for tonight’s tacos. With National Brownie Day on the mind, I came up with what could quite possibly be my best Frankenstein thus for: Sea Salt Caramel Mocha Brownies with real brewed coffee!

We do a lot of coffee drinking during the work day, as I’m sure many of you do. How could we not with endless fresh roasted coffee at our fingertips? The daily dilemma I encounter coincides with my 3pm slump. I’ve still got a full two hours to go and dinner definitely isn’t making itself. “Should I make fresh coffee?” I ask myself. “Will anyone else drink it?” I torture myself over this for a while and walk around to see if anyone will coerce me into doing what I want to do. The desire for coffee inevitably wins but sometimes there is half a pot left as I gather my belongings to leave for the day. This time around, I poured the leftovers into a pitcher and left it in the fridge overnight. I had a brownie recipe on my mind!

I grew up with foodie parents and cooking shows were a primary source of entertainment in our household. I watched a lot of “The Urban Peasant,” where frugality and functionality were incorporated into devising recipes. James Barber looked for ways to spice up and reinvent household items in creative combinations. I saw a lot of like-minded chefs during my first year at Coffee Bean Direct. In our annual chili cookoff, many of the contestants used coffee and tea in their recipes. Not only were my coworkers amazing cooks but they introduced me to the world of Coffee Chili, Chai Chili, and a plethora of inexpensive, flavorful, nuanced dishes. They obliterated my stodgy notion that coffee and tea belong in your mug. You’re telling me I can fuse caffeine into my lunch? Mind blown.

I have to admit, I get a little thrill whenever I find a deal. I laugh wickedly when I arrive at friends houses with homemade caramel lattes and they asked me where I stopped. I save my time and money with shameless amusement. No $5 drinks for this girl! I’m addicted to finding a good deal. It only took a single taste test for me to know I had stumbled upon genius with this Sea Salt Caramel Mocha recipe. Feel free to use flavored coffee if you want to push the envelope. I used our Colombian Supremo, brewed strong, but any leftover coffee will do! You just want to make sure it’s at least slightly cooled before you mix it into your ingredients.

Do yourself a favor and brew that extra pot. The more leftover coffee you have, the more you basically have to bake these mouthwatering brownies. I mean you could just throw your leftover coffee out. But that’s like pouring potential happiness down the drain. Don’t wonder what would’ve been. You’re better than that.

Brew, bake, and celebrate! Let us know how it turned out in the comments below.

Ingredients

1 cup butter

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup of caramel bits

about 2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 -3 teaspoons strong brewed coffee

Directions

Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with heavy foil, extending foil over edges of the pan. Butter the foil; set pan aside.

In a heavy large saucepan, heat 1 cup butter and chocolates over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, coffee and vanilla. Stir into warm chocolate mixture; cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until brownies appear shiny, begin to crack on top and appear set. (Do not overbake.)

Stir in the caramel bits. Drop the sea salt all over the top of the batter, a pinch at a time.

Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; then cut into bars.

Cookies are such a happy little food. You can’t be truly sad when you’re eating a cookie. The other undeniable thing about cookies is they scream to be dunked. That’s where we come in. Milk and cookies? We’re not going to deny it. It’s a timeless pairing. But coffee and tea are where it’s at in the beverage world. There is no better reward for successful adulting (I know, it’s not a real word) than a steamy cup of vitality to dip your cookie in. With National Cookie Day coming up, we used brewed tea to bake spicy, sweet Chocolate Chai Tea Cookies. Guess what we did with them? We dipped them in coffee, like the rebels that we are. Step aside milk, coffee and tea are coming for you.

Believe it or not, there is a science behind dunking. Cookies taste better when dunked; it’s not in your imagination. Some cultures even apply rules to their dunking. In Australia “Tim Tam Slam” is a six-step process where dunking enthusiasts bite off the corners of their cookie, use it as a straw to slurp up their beverage of choice, and then pop the cookie in their mouth for ultimate consumption. Dunking dissolves the sugars of a cookie, releasing its flavor and softening the texture. It draws in the liquid so it’s easier and more pleasurable to eat.

The UK honors a “National Biscuit Dunking Day.” We looked into it and for all intents and purposes, what the English consider a ‘biscuit’ would be seen more as a cookie in the U.S. I’m sure you can find someone to argue this claim, but that’s a can of worms for another day. The holiday was born to make physics accessible by focusing on a cheerful subject matter. The founder of this holiday, physicist Len Fisher, was surprised by how quickly the day gained attention and popularity. Almost every UK newspaper celebrated, posting Washburn’s Equation, which explains capillary flow in porous materials. The science of dunking became a household subject matter.

Now that you have been graced with this life-altering, scientifically-proven epiphany, you can celebrate National Cookie Day in expert fashion. We’re not saying milk doesn’t have a place in the dunking world, we’re just saying it’s more of an accessory than an essential. I mean, you can’t argue with science, right? There goes coffee and tea, stepping in and upping the ante, once again.

Try this physics experiment out yourself with our favorite cookie recipe and your coffee or tea of choice and share your experience in the comments below!

Servings 3 -4 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 Cup Butter Softened

2 Cups Sugar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar Packed

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Old World Chocolate Chai Tea, strong brewed

¼ cup cocoa

4 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

3 Tbsp Milk

2 Tsp Vanilla

Ground Cinnamon

Instructions

Begin by creaming the butter, adding in the cocoa, sugars, eggs, tea, and vanilla.

Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing well.

Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the Oven to 350*.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut the round shapes.  Place them on a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes then remove from oven and let cool before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling.

While the cookies are cooling combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.

Spread a little bit of the glaze on each cookie and add a dash of cinnamon.

You know those awkward, eye-roll inducing “ice-breaker” activities instructors and teachers use before their classes? I have an exercise people may actually warm to. Ask them what their favorite sandwich is. Being perpetually hungry and obsessed with food in general, I often ask this question. National Sandwich Day is November 3rd and it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a new, more intimate way. You can learn everything you need to know about someone from their response. Some go simple. A grilled cheese or a turkey and swiss. Those people are generally laid back, uncomplicated, purists. Chicken Parm? You lead with your heart. Peanut butter and jelly with trimmed crusts? You’re type A.  If the Gobbler is your favorite, you are a full-fledged psychopath. Just kidding! You’re a person after my own heart.

The Gobbler, aka the Pilgrim, aka the Puritan, has an endless number of stage names and variations that revolve around the same concept- pile all your Thanksgiving leftovers on a sandwich and chow down like your life depends on it. It’s not dainty, and it’s not something you eat on a first date. It’s an amalgam of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, maybe even mashed potatoes and a whole lot of shameless savagery. This ultra-loaded, juicy, sweet, salty combo may actually put the integrity of Thanksgiving dinner in question. Ask around. A lot of people love Thanksgiving dinner even more in its reincarnation the following day, or what I like to call “Second Dinner.”

This seasonal treat has gone from an exotic novelty to a fall staple, but it is no spring chicken (spring turkey?). I first learned about the crazy combo twenty years ago on a summer trip to Cape Cod. We celebrated our arrival at a little deli that served “The Pilgrim” piled high on fresh bread year-round. This version included muenster cheese and lettuce and could be served in wrap form upon request. I ordered mine on fresh sourdough and was presented with a full loaf of bread busting at the seams with sweet and salty goodness. Cape Cod and other areas of Southeastern Massachusetts claim ownership of this gem which is served year-round at deli’s and restaurants. After all, the oldest town on Cape Cod is the aptly named Sandwich, Massachusetts.

The first known recipe emerged in the 1950’s although the dish was likely around undocumented well before that. The original sandwich was considered a refined treat, eaten with white gloves, and perhaps even a raised pinky. Sandwiches did not transform into a messy Jenga of glorious ingredients until much more recently. Nowadays, we embrace the mess and shovel as many flavorful components as possible into our melty, gooey creations. Table manners have taken a back seat to flavor in the current manifestation of sandwiches, and the Gobbler is a prime example.

If you haven’t tried this dream of a sandwich, please, let National Sandwich Day be your catalyst. We love building our own because we can customize them to perfection. While we usually adopt a “the more the merrier” attitude about food, we don’t use mashed potatoes on ours. The pairing of fresh turkey, a spicy sage stuffing, turkey gravy and thick layer of whole-berry cranberry sauce is too perfect to mess with. Make yours with all your favorite Thanksgiving components and lots of napkins handy. Here’s to the Gobbler and all its sandwich ancestors this holiday season. Now that is something to be thankful for.

Try out our favorite fall recipe and let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Ingredients:

1 white or wheat roll (we used honey wheat for a dash of sweetness)

1 tsp butter

4-5 oz turkey, broken into smaller pieces (this helps ensure turkey in every bite)

1/4 cup sage or cornbread stuffing

4 tbsp cranberry sauce (whole-berry or jellied based on preference)

3 Tbsp gravy

Directions:

Cut the roll in half and spread with equal amounts of butter. Place cut side down on a warm grill pan and toast. Remove from heat.

Coat both sides of your roll with cranberry sauce. Add a layer of stuffing and top that with pieces of turkey. Add gravy on top (dripping is encouraged!). Top with the top piece of the roll.

SNACK LIKE YOU MEAN IT!

People are passionate about their beverages. We want them flavorful, pretty, fresh, and inexpensive. We need them fast, in the biggest cup you’ve got, with our choice of milk, and a generous dash of whip. Remember those multicolored pastel drinks that were all the rage? What about freakshakes, the mother of all milkshakes, topped with every confection imaginable? People are having fun with their drinks, and we are on board. One of our favorite trends these days is the Dirty Chai Tea Latte. You can have all the warm, spicy flavors of chai without sacrificing the essential, revitalizing joy that is coffee. Basically, you can have your cake and eat it too. Bonus: you can make it at home!

Some of the best innovations come from necessity. We’ve all made those “I really need to go food shopping but I don’t feel like it” meals. You stare into your bare cabinets and try to figure out how you can work those pitiful, mismatched ingredients into something edible. There are entire cookbooks on the subject matter. Scarcity can turn anyone into an innovator.

The aromatic tea we know and love was born in tougher times. Masala Chai is a Hindi term that translates to “mixed-spice tea”. In the early 1900s, black tea was very expensive in India. Vendors used milk, sugar and spices to keep their brew flavorful while keeping costs down. To stimulate the sales of Indian tea, the British-owned Indian Tea Association encouraged big employers to offer tea breaks throughout the work day. They also encouraged chaiwalas, tea vendors, to sell their brew along the developing railway system.

Traditional Masala Chai used black tea, typically the local Assam or Ceylon, blended with real spices that varied based on region and availability. Chaiwalas became an important part of the culture and continue to exist all over India. They are one of the only consistent presences in a very diverse country, from lazy rural villages to busy cities streets. People from all walks of life flock to chaiwalas for a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Over tea, you’ll see people congregate, night and day, discussing anything from politics to sports.

Masala Chai became popular in India, but it didn’t stop there. Over the pond it went, right to our local coffee shops and tea houses, in all its spicy, fragrant glory. Any trendy coffee shop will boast the “Best Dirty Chai,” but as DIY-ers, we subscribe to the philosophy that if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. A lot of cafes make their chai with a concentrated syrup or powder mix. This version fuses our own signature chai spices into the tea like the first chaiwalas. Those real ingredients add a richness and depth of flavor you can’t emulate with an artificial mix alone. You wouldn’t build a house with particle board. You have to go for the good stuff!

If you want the traditional Dirty Chai experience, brew up 2 shots of espresso – we love Godfather’s Italian Espresso for this drink. You can also strong brew any coffee of your choice. Typically, espresso drinks use a dark roast, but the beauty of doing it at home is that you get to choose. Your home will be filled with that sweet, spicy aroma in no time! Whether you’re brewing it by the cup or the pitcher, this decadent treat is as simple as it is tasty.

Give this recipe a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp Spiced Chai tea

1/2 cup of water

1/3 cup of milk of your choice

1/2 cup of strong coffee or 2 shots espresso

2-3 tsp honey

1 drop vanilla extract

A dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1.) Prepare coffee or espresso

2.) Prepare chai by bringing water to boil, then pouring it over loose leaf tea in a tea strainer.  Let steep for 5-10 minutes. Remove tea bag/tea container from tea.

3.) Add honey and a drop of vanilla to chai tea, stir in well

4.) Prepare milk by either heating it up in a pot on the stove or use a wand to steam

5.) Add milk to chai

6.) Add strong brewed coffee or espresso and a dash of cinnamon

Food is love. There is no way around it. There’s a reason they put plump, sweet-faced grandmas on food labels. Love is the secret ingredient in any true home-cooked meal. The holidays are the perfect time to come together with family and friends, fill our homes with aroma of fragrant, slow-cooked treats, break bread, and be together. Food unites us and requires a pause in the frenzy of daily life. It’s time to slow down, to savor, and indulge.

To be fair, not everyone agrees with this sentiment. We all know someone who implements rigid meal prep, Tupperware after Tupperware of bland, monotonous rations. Their calories and protein are in line with the daily recommended value, their blood pressure is pristine. The creator of the food pyramid would love these people, but those meager little meals just make us sad. Someone once told me “food is strictly sustenance,” and I balked at the thought. I’m all for balance, and I love nothing more than a good salad some days, but where is the love in unseasoned, broiled chicken, day in and day out? Is that a life worth living? We think not.

The thought came back to me months later, meeting a friend at our favorite little Italian bakery. The spot was abuzz with conversation, friends catching up at the end of the work week, milk being frothed for cappuccinos, orders being filled. It wasn’t a fancy place, but there was always an aura of merriment and the food was out of this world. I ordered my favorite, their Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake, to go with my latte. If you haven’t tried this, please, scour the baked goods in your area until you find one. I sat and savored the lush, homemade chocolate ganache, the smooth, dense almond cake, the fresh, tart raspberry jam oozing from between the layers. This was no meal of sustenance, but rather a festive departure from the mundane. Dessert cannot be rushed through or thoughtlessly devoured. It must be savored alongside a steamy mug of coffee on a joyful little floral plate with friends. Dessert is not a food, it’s an experience.

The ideal holiday requires no travel, no cleaning, no gift-buying, just really good food. National Dessert Day just might be that holiday, and who doesn’t need an excuse to celebrate? You can even get away with skipping dinner if you want. Sustenance is cool and all, but today is a day to eat the kind of foods people daydream about.

We took a look back at our favorite dessert recipes and put together this handy little list for you. We’ve got everything from 2-ingredient, no fuss recipes to romantic, shareable items, and desserts that will impress the snootiest of foodies. You can even observe the holiday in pajamas, eating gooey Hot Fudge Pudding Cake for dinner with your cats. Now, that’s a holiday tradition we could get behind.

Try out one of these amazing recipes and let us know what you think in the comments below!

No-Churn Coffee Fudge Ice Cream

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Vietnamese Coffee Pops Recipe

The Perfect Two-Ingredient Dessert

Apple Berry Pie

Chocolate Lover’s Coffee Shake

The Ultimate Coffee Lover’s Cheesecake

Green Tea Mojito Bars

Earl Grey Truffles with Orange & Lavender

Coffee Smoothie (for Two) Recipe

Matcha Cheesecake Recipe

Peppermint Bark Recipe

Crème Brulee Recipe