As Labor Day approaches, cookouts are the perfect activity to kick back with family and friends. The recipes of summer should be fresh, bright and juicy. As relentless coffee lovers, we sought to find a way to fuse our favorite ingredient into the mix with this delicious coffee rub.

Why coffee? Believe it or not, in this rub, coffee does not yield any bitterness. It adds a rich complexity to the sweet and salty kick you get from its other ingredients. We experimented with roast level and settled on a French Roast for its robust flavor. When selecting your bean of choice, take into account that the darker the roast, the stronger the flavor. The ideal grind size is the same as what you brew in your Autodrip pot. The grounds have just enough surface area to contribute flavor without dominating by sticking to the meat more than the other spices.

Coffee makes a truly unique seasoning. Adding the bold, earthy flavor of a ground dark roast to sweet and savory spices will make any steak sizzle. This warm, zesty rub goes with just about anything, but it doesn’t get any better than on your favorite cut of juicy steak. Whether you’re manning the grill, prepping the food, or buying the ingredients, you’ll be the barbeque boss once you break out this spiced, tangy rub!

Try it out this Labor Day. Let us know any modifications you made and how it turned out in the comments below!

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons finely ground dark roasted coffee beans (regular or decaf)
• 5 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1½ teaspoons ground mustard
• ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 of your favorite cuts of beef

RECIPE PREPARATION

• In a small bowl, whisk all of the dry seasonings until evenly blended.
• Rub mixture evenly on all sides of the ribeye steaks (approximately 5 tsp. per steak) and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat grillon high heat.

Grill 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare or longer to taste.

You may not know this, but August is National Coffee Month. Our world revolves around coffee and we’re not alone. Whether it’s brewed in a French press, autodrip machine, or espresso maker, your favorite brew is undeniably a centerpiece of life. Coffee brings people together, and for National Coffee Month, we wanted to bring you some recipes to make your get-togethers extra-special!

In celebration, we took it to the next level by freezing, blending, shaking, and mixing our hearts out to bring you these tasty warm weather treats. Here are our favorite concoctions, tested on our guinea pigs (aka employees) for your enjoyment.

For Coffee Buffs:

No-Churn Coffee Fudge Ice Cream

Nothing says summer quite like ice cream, and this no-churn treat is like bringing your local creamery home.

Vietnamese Coffee Popsicles

This treat fuses a strong blast of coffee, creamy sweetened condensed milk, and a velvety vanilla finish.

Dark Moon Cocktail

A coffee cocktail with a bold, heavy body. Brew a big batch and make any occasion more festive!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Coffee is the secret ingredient in this luscious, indulgent treat.

Chocolate Lovers Coffee Shake

A fudgy, creamy dessert (or meal!) – perfect for cheat day

Affogato

This simple 2-ingredient summer treat keeps your taste buds guessing with blasts of creamy, cold gelato and steamy espresso.

For Tea Enthusiasts:

Iced Chai Bubble Tea

We love a little texture in our tea! The tapioca pearls make this spicy, sweet treat one of a kind.

Watermelon Mimosa Green Tea Popsicles

The refreshment of iced green tea meets sweet, juicy watermelon flavor. A sweet, tart way to cool down in the heat!

Jasmine Honey Tea Granita

A simple, flowery homemade dessert with a sweet, refreshing flavor

Tea Sangria

Brew up a tangy, fruity glass of this fresh, warm weather cocktail.

Rum and Lemon Ginger Green Tea

A refreshing, bubbly twist on the traditional Dark and Stormy

It might sound like there’s too much going on in this recipe, but there are only three ingredients in these simple popsicles. We came up with this idea to celebrate the return of summer and our Watermelon Mimosa Green Tea Blend, a flavored blend of Sencha and Jasmine green teas, blackberry leaves, and spearmint. Fresh watermelon juice adds color and sweetness without overpowering the green tea flavor.

Ingredients (makes 10 large popsicles)

1 small seedless watermelon (or about 2 1/2 cups of watermelon, cubed)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups brewed Watermelon Mimosa Green Tea Blend

Instructions

Brew the tea using the standard steeping instructions (1 teaspoon per cup, brewed 2-3 minutes). Stir in the sugar while the tea is hot and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Blend the watermelon in a blender and pour through a mesh strainer. Add the strained watermelon juice to the tea and pour into popsicle molds. Set in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours, then insert the popsicle sticks. This will prevent the sticks from floating or moving in the mold. Freeze overnight or longer.

Homemade valentines might bring doilies and glue sticks to mind, but this classy upgrade is almost as easy as the elementary school version. Chocolate truffles are essentially ganache nuggets dusted with cocoa powder. Ganache is incredibly easy to make and dangerous to have in the fridge. This recipe makes a dozen (good sized) truffles, but you might want to double it in case you find yourself “testing” that ganache more than a few times as it cools. We used just enough of our Earl Grey Zephyr loose leaf tea, featuring real oil of bergamot, orange peel, and lavender, to subtly flavor the chocolate. Use more tea to further emphasize the flavor, or try it with our Lady Earl White or Royal Earl Grey Chai.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Earl Grey Zephyr loose leaf tea
• 6 oz. fine-quality dark chocolate (we used 70% cacao)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Bring cream and butter to a boil in a saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in tea leaves and let steep 5 minutes. While the tea is steeping, finely grind chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pour the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve onto the chocolate, discarding the tea leaves. Whisk until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

To shape the truffles, spoon even scoops of ganache onto a baking sheet. A melon baller or ice cream scoop can help create rounded, even scoops. Make sure your hands are cold (running them under cold water or holding a piece of ice first helps). Dry and roll each piece of ganache into a ball. Keep the rolling to a minimum to prevent the chocolate from softening. They don’t have to be perfectly round; after all, they’re homemade! Drop several balls at a time into bowl of cocoa powder and turn to coat. Transfer to an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper. Store for up to two weeks in the fridge, dusting lightly with more cocoa before serving if needed.

It’s called an affogato and it’s perfect in its simplicity. All you need is a scoop or two of vanilla gelato and a single shot of freshly brewed espresso. While it’s pretty simple to make (pour the hot espresso over gelato), there are a few tricks to making an affogato great:

1. Don’t skimp on the ingredients. The gelato (or ice cream if you prefer) should be good quality and the espresso fresh. Experiment with different flavors if you like. Caramel is delicious and a flavor with a little texture like chocolate chip would work well too.
2. Make sure your gelato is very cold and scoop generously. Otherwise you will have a delicious bowl of cool soup. Chilling the bowl also helps.
3. Make the espresso immediately before serving. Part of the fun of this dessert is the contrast between textures and temperatures. The espresso should be hot and served in something easy to pour.
4. Optional: serve with a straw, unless you’re dining alone, in which case just put the bowl up to your face and drink all that melted deliciousness at the bottom. Waste nothing.