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

Mornings are hard. I once worked in an office where I was the only one who drank coffee. That’s right, no coffee pot and no coffee shops or drive-thru’s nearby, just little packets of decaffeinated green tea taunting me from the break room. I would arrive every morning with my personal keg of coffee and quietly caffeinate in my corner cubicle while fresh-faced decaf coworkers buzzed around with irritating peppiness.

We’ll go to ridiculous lengths to make mornings as easy as possible: breakfast prepped, coffee timer set, clothes laid out. Many of us just aren’t morning people. I don’t know what I would do without my coffee. Seeking to minimize my morning routine, my interest was piqued when I came across a recipe for “overnight oats with coffee.” Coffee and breakfast in one? It was almost too good to be true. I looked for a simple overnight oats recipe and added in my own dash of pizzazz.

With fall comes a plethora of rich, hearty flavors too good to pass up. As much of a summer person as I am, I must admit, I’ll take a dash of apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice in my coffee any day. One of my favorites is our Apple Cider Donut flavored coffee. Fusing the flavors of fresh donuts (without the guilt, might I add), spicy apple cider, sweet brown sugar, and cinnamon, this autumnal flavor pairs perfectly with breakfast. I decided to give it a whirl in my overnight oats recipe. This recipe called for ¼ cup of coffee, strong brewed. I made mine double strength and let it chill.

As much as you may want to sleep in, kids and pets often have different ideas. Often, it’s even hard to find much time for meal prep in the evenings. I liked this recipe because it was easy and didn’t require a lot of ingredients. In a jar, I mixed ½ cup of chopped apple, ½ cup of old fashioned oats, a teaspoon of honey, an 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and chilled coffee. Then, I sealed it up and hoped for the best. It made me a little nervous forgoing the timer on my coffee pot, but I was committed to finding out if my coffee oats would do the job!

I couldn’t believe how tasty this recipe turned out to be. A breakfast that is filling, easy, and gets me going in the morning? If only I had known years back, I could’ve saved myself a lot of sulky mornings in that corner cubicle. Well, better late than never! Give this recipe a try or modify it to your liking. Pumpkin Spice coffee overnight oats? Mash in a banana? Overnight oats with yogurt? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Nothing says fall quite like a smoldering bowl of soup. There’s nothing like those chilly days, filling up on rich, aromatic dishes. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I love any opportunity to try out new recipes, especially if they include my other passion: good coffee. This fragrant, cheesy, broiled recipe for French Onion soup is cool weather joy, epitomized.

I have always been a huge French Onion soup enthusiast. There was time when it was the only thing I would order when I went out to eat. I’ve always had an affinity for the savory and this was a special treat I could never get enough of. I remember my mother making this recipe for me on snowy days. She used the ceramic two-tone brown bowls allotted for this dish and this dish alone, broiled the cheese, and left the whole house smelling like heaven. My stomach would growl while I waited impatiently for my mother to call me for dinner.

Just like French Onion soup brought my family together on snowy days, the famous dish served as a unifying force in Paris as well. While onion soup had been around for ages, it was considered a food of the poor- many could only afford broth, bread, and onions. This staple was born in the restaurants surrounding les Halles, the only area open to a late night/early morning crowd at the time.

The addition of “gratinee,” or cheese, served as a hearty, affordable breakfast for the blue-collar workers seeking early morning fare or after a hard-partying evening at the cabaret. French Onion soup bridged the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots,” as customers poured into doors of these little cafés. Inebriated socialites in tuxedos sat beside bloody-aproned butchers at the end of their shifts, indulging in the irresistible late-night fare.

Nowadays, French Onion soup is less culturally charged, but it still is tasty enough to appeal to people from all walks of life. In France, they’d often add caramel and burnt onions to soup to add flavor. We added coffee, brown ale, and unfiltered apple juice, layering ingredients slowly to add to the depth of flavor in this recipe.

We recommend a coffee with some bite, as flavor is the name of the game for this treat. We love the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, light or dark roasted, depending on your preference. If you want a smokier flavor in your soup, go for the dark roast. If you prefer a nuttier, sweeter taste, go for light.

Simmering onions in brown ale and unfiltered apple juice as well as fresh-roasted coffee adds a sweet/salty/tart richness that will make this recipe a go-to all fall and winter. This makes for the perfect Sunday dinner as the days get shorter and cooler. Maybe even try it out as a hangover cure. We’re not saying it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot.

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

Ingredients:

Serves: 4 to 6

6              medium sweet onions (we used Vidalia)

1              teaspoon dried thyme

1              teaspoon salt

1/2         teaspoon black pepper

2              tablespoons salted butter

8              ounces mild brown ale

16           ounces unfiltered apple juice

32           ounces brewed coffee

1 1/4      tablespoons mushroom or beef bouillon

2              bay leaves

1              fresh baguette, sliced

4              slices Swiss cheese

Directions:

Thin slice onions and add them to a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add butter, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently while the onions reduce and caramelize. Add the brown ale (Newcastle is a great choice!) to deglaze the pan and let the onions reduce again until there is no visible liquid. Add apple juice to deglaze the pan a second time and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes on medium. Combine 32 ounces of fresh brewed coffee (preferably with some acidity, such as our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe) with the bouillon. Add the coffee/bouillon mixture and the bay leaves to the pot and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Broil the baguette until golden. Remove the bay leaves and ladle the soup into oven safe bowls, top with two slices of toasted baguette and a generous slice of cheese. Place in the broiler until the cheese melts/bubbles.

We love anything that brings people together in a universal cheer. Coffee is most definitely one of those things, but tacos are a close competitor. Every dog has his day, but we think tacos deserve at least two. Thankfully, National Taco Day s coming up, and we can’t wait to celebrate. Since there’s only one day allotted to this joyous food, we have a proposal for you: have your tacos for dinner AND dessert. Is that not genius? You’re welcome.

We all remember being little kids and the thrilling jingle of the ice cream truck. I could hear it from a mile away. My parents would always hope I’d be distracted or out of earshot but nope-not me! The kids from the neighborhood would pile out into the streets, racing joyously toward that merry little bell. As an 80’s baby, I had come into existence a mere two years after the Choco Taco had become a regular on those ice cream trucks. The unique treat fused ice cream, chocolate, nuts, and sugar cone in taco form, yielding a full spectrum of flavors in each bite. The surrounding buzz did not fall on deaf ears.

The inventor of the Choco Taco, Alan Drazen, was inspired by the fastest growing facet of the food industry in the 80’s: Mexican food. He made his debut in the biz while still in college, driving an ice cream truck in Philadelphia. From there, he brought the wonders of the Choco Taco to the world!

What was once an ice cream truck only treat has now been adapted by chefs across the country, copied, and remixed more times than we can count. As DIY enthusiasts, we decided to take matters into our own hands and make our spin on a dessert taco recipe at home!

Whether you’re celebrating Taco Day out on the town or at home, end your day with this tasty dessert taco recipe. You deserve it. Try out our creamy, frozen treat and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Coffee Fudge Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup cold, dark roast brewed coffee (we used Medium Roast Espresso)

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups cold heavy cream

Hot fudge (well, warm fudge)

Instructions

Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl and whisk in the cold coffee (or other flavoring), set aside.

Whip the heavy cream until peaks form. We used a hand mixer on medium-high.

Add whipped cream to the condensed milk mixture and blend by hand or on the low setting until combined.

Blend again on medium until the mixture is just thickened.

Pour mixture into a freezer-safe container (we used a standard size loaf pan) and cover with wax paper.

Freeze overnight or until firm

Dessert Taco Recipe

Ingredients

Frozen or homemade waffles

Fudge

Chopped nuts (we used honey roasted peanuts)

Parchment paper

Baking sheet

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Let ice cream thaw for about 10 minutes

Scoop the ice cream onto waffles and refreeze for about an hour to set the shape

Using a teaspoon, spoon the warm (not hot!) fudge into the taco shells and transfer to the baking sheet

Transfer the tacos to the freezer for about 1 hour

Enjoy!

We’ve all heard the saying “As American as apple pie.” There is one influential man to thank for this tradition, and today is his day! September 26^th is National Johnny Appleseed Day. As legend has it, John Chapman (a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed) was an American pioneer who traveled by foot planting apple trees and orchards. His trek took him from Pennsylvania to Iowa. He often walked shoeless with a wide brimmed hat shading sun from his eyes as he traveled. Now that’s what you call dedication! This conspicuous character was known for his work ethic and benevolence toward nature and mankind.

Not only did Johnny spread apple seeds, but wisdom and compassion as well. He was known to share books and the teachings of Swedish spiritual leader Emanuel Swedenborg. Story has it, this nomadic spiritualist would travel far and wide to nurse ailing orchards back to health. He rarely asked for payment but any he received went toward books which he would give out to people he met during his travels. While the popular legend paints Johnny Appleseed as a jolly individual, scattering apple seeds merrily as he traveled barefoot, in reality he was far more methodical. John planted nurseries, left them in the care of those he met, and checked back every few years to ensure they were thriving.

We think this day is a special one to be celebrated. National Johnny Appleseed Day represents the power of the individual driven by altruism, hard work, and attention to detail. While we would love to be thought of as mythical beings, sprinkling coffee beans throughout the country, the truth is we’re too busy roasting. We’ll have to leave the sprinkling to you!

This September, we plan on honoring Johnny Appleseed by pouring ourselves into the magic of our trade – making it easy, inexpensive, and fun to buy our coffee! We hope veryone we meet is a little better than before they found us. Celebrate Johnny with a cup of our Autumn Harvest or Apple Cider Donut coffee. Tell us what you think in the comments below!