fun with frozen espresso

I know I haven't talked about coffee much but I'll just admit to you now that I'm an addict. I have loved coffee since I was a young girl and after working as a barista for a couple of years post-highschool, I learned to love a well brewed shot of espresso. With espresso drinks starting at $3 (and going way way up from there) at most cafes, I had long ago resigned myself to only enjoying my plain 'ol homemade coffee (french pressed, of course).



Until last week, that is. I had the absolute pleasure of trying Jazzybird Coffee's Gourmet Frozen Espresso Shots. A box of 8 shots retails for $5.99 making each shot only $0.75... a far cry from the $3-$5 that you'd shell out just to have a teenager in a headset hand you the same thing. I'll be honest, I was skeptical about how good they could be but as soon as I peeled back the foil on the first shot, I was hit with the mouth watering aroma of good espresso.



Yes, espresso drinks made with these little frozen shots are still more expensive than my regular cup of joe but I think they fit the Budget Bytes model for a few reasons. First, you'll be making the same drinks at home for 1/3 the cost (or less) as in a cafe. Second, they are FROZEN which means that you can save them for special occasions or days when you want to treat yourself and they'll still be good! And lastly, they are versatile! I made a few different goodies this weekend using the shots... because espresso is a more concentrated brew than regular coffee, it is a great way to add coffee flavor to recipes without adding tons of liquid! Check out the items below to see how I used my Jazzybird Espresso!







Iced or Hot Latte



Total Cost: $1.09

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 shot	Jazzybird Frozen Espresso	$0.75
1 cup	milk	$0.34
TOTAL		$1.09

ICED LATTE: Thaw/melt your espresso shot according to the directions. Fill a glass with ice and pour the shot and milk over top.



HOT LATTE: Heat a cup of milk in the microwave until very hot (your preference). Stir in the frozen shot until it has melted. (If you have a milk frother, I'm jealous because that's the only thing that could have made this better).









Espresso Simple Syrup



Total Cost: $0.93

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 shot	Jazzybird Frozen Espresso	$0.75
1 cup	granulated sugar	$0.18
TOTAL		$0.93

STEP 1: In a small sauce pan, dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 3/4 cup water over medium heat. When all of the sugar has dissolved, stir in one shot of espresso. Cool and keep refrigerated until use.



If you're a cocktail drinker, you know the vast array of usages for simple syrup. You can mix this with any liquor to yield a sweet, espresso flavored drink. I like the idea of combining it with vanilla flavored vodka and topping it off with soda water for a rich, sweet espresso cocktail minus all of the cream (most coffee flavored liquors/cocktails seem to be cream based).



This syrup would also be fantastic poured over vanilla ice cream or drizzled into some pound cake THEN topped with some vanilla ice cream... okay, I need to stop.









Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes



Total Cost: $5.22 / $0.29 per cupcake (18 total)

INGREDIENTS		COST
3 shots	Jazzybird Frozen Espresso	$2.25
1 box	chocolate cake mix	$0.88
3 large	eggs	$0.45
1/2 cup	cooking oil	$0.28
1 can	vanilla frosting	$1.36
TOTAL		$5.22

STEP 1: Prepare the cupcake mix according to the directions on the box (combine mix, eggs, oil and water). Stir in three thawed espresso shots.



STEP 2: Fill cupcake pan with the batter, bake according to the directions on the box (20 min at 350). When cupcakes have cooled, top with vanilla frosting. Garnish with cocoa powder and coffee beans if desired!




I had so many recipe ideas swimming around in my head for these nifty little shots but unfortunately I could only squeeze a few in this weekend. If you have any other ideas, let me know! I can't wait to try out more!