We’re always looking for ways to make our own homemade drinks instead of buying the packaged ones in the grocery store. Instead of buying mocha coffee loaded with artificial flavors, why not make your own? You can customize this delicious drink any way you like. Try adding whipped cream, marshmallows, or a peppermint stick for a twist. Warm up this winter with this delicious mocha coffee that’ll soon become a favorite!

[yumprint-recipe id=’87’] Photos: Sunset, Careening Segue.

Is there anyone that doesn’t like cotton candy? We didn’t think so! If you’re craving this sugary treat, you’d be surprised to know that you can make it at home! Although the homemade cotton candy won’t be as fluffy as the carnival kind, it’s still delicious! This gold cotton candy would be an awesome treat to serve at your New Year’s party this year!

Homemade Gold Cotton Candy Supplies:

1) A whisk that you snipped with wire cutters. This is sometimes called a ‘decapitated whisk’. Take a look at the image below to see what it looks like.

2) Parchment paper

3) Candy thermometer (a must!)

4) 4 cups sugar

5) 1 cup corn syrup

6) 1 cup water

7) 1/4 tsp salt

8) 1 tsp raspberry extract

9) 2 drops pink food coloring

11) 4 tsp creme de cassis (this will give the cotton candy a gold color)

‘Decapitated’ Whisk:

Step #1:

In a large saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has melted. Take a damp pastry brush and wipe down the sides of the saucepan to prevent crystals from forming.

Step #2:

Clip a candy thermometer to your saucepan and keep stirring. Heat to 320 F and pour the hot liquid into a shallow heatproof container. Add in extract and food coloring. Stir.

Step #3:

Line work area with parchment paper.

Step #4:

Dip whisk into sugar syrup and hold it over the pot to allow the sugar to drip back into the container. Hold the whisk 1 foot above the parchment paper and swing it back and forth to create thin strands of sugar on the paper. Repeat multiple times until you have a nest of spun sugar.

Step #5:

Immediately wrap the spun sugar around large lollipop sticks. You can eat this straight away or seal it in an air-tight container. Moisture will make the candy soggy.

Photos: Cooking Books.

These jello shots are great for those busy folks this holiday season! To make these champagne jello shots, all you really need is champagne, gelatin, and sugar! Serve them on a fancy platter and don’t forget the sparkly pom pom toothpicks!

New Year’s Sparkling Champagne Jello Shots

Photos: Erica’s Sweet Tooth.

Looking for more New Year’s party ideas? We’ve got you covered!

Easy HOMEMADE Tortilla Chips

The ULTIMATE New Year’s Dip: Cheesy Beef Enchilada

New Year’s Sangria With Blood Orange, Mint, and Blackberries

Festive Holiday Cherry and Lime Vodka Jelly Shots

Try these chocolate snowcap cookies this Christmas – you won’t regret it! They’re really easy and quick to make, which makes these perfect for any last-minute baking this Christmas! For a twist, you can also add in a teaspoon of espresso powder if you want the cookies to have a bit of a kick!

Easy Chocolate Snowcap Cookies

 Photos: Shaws, Buns in My Oven.

Sugar cookies are a Christmas tradition and for good reason, too. They’re completely versatile, and once you’ve got the basic recipe down pat, you can add your own unique twist to it. We love topping them with sugar, adding chopped walnuts, and decorating them with Royal icing. There are lots of sugar cookie recipes out there, but we’ve got our hands on the best one! Roll up your sleeves and let’s get baking!

The best sugar cookie recipe ever!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until smooth using an electric mixer.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Cover and chill dough at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.
6. Cut into shapes and place the cookies 1″ apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 6-8 minutes.
8. Take the cookies out of the oven, and while they’re still hot, transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool the cookies completely before decorating with Royal icing.

This blueberry bread is so moist and delicious that we guarantee it will become a family favorite! The bread loaf is bursting with blueberries, and it’s topped with a lemony sugar glaze. Serve it for a special Sunday breakfast, or for a light snack. Pair it with some hot Arabica coffee and you’ve got yourself the perfect treat!

Blueberry Bread With Lemon Glaze

Serves 10

Blueberry bread topped with a sugary lemon glaze.

Ingredients

• 1½ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided use
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• ½ cup milk
• 1½ cup fresh blueberries
• 3 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F. Butter and sugar a 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2″ loaf pan. Set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and 1 cup sugar using an electric mixer until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add in lemon peel.
4. Mix in flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin with the flour mixture and end with the flour mixture.
5. Coat blueberries lightly with a small amount of flour and gently fold them into the batter.
6. Add batter to the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when it’s finished.
7. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
8. Remove the loaf from the oven and pierce the top with a toothpick several times. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the loaf.
9. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool completely.

Photos and recipe: A Muse in My Kitchen.

Iced coffees are one of those things that we can’t resist in the summer. They’re usually on the pricey side at most coffee shops, and sometimes they don’t taste that great, either. Making your own iced coffee is simple, and you’re in control of the recipe! Add in condensed milk, whole milk, or half-and-half for extra flavor! You can also add some whipped cream on top if you’re feeling adventurous! Read on for the recipe!

Perfect Home-Made Iced Coffee

The best iced coffee you’ve ever tasted! Try it with half-and-half and top with whipped cream!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground coffee
• 8 gallons of water
• sugar
• condensed milk, half-and-half, 2% milk, or soy milk
• whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large container, combine coffee and water. Mix well and cover. Allow to steep for at least 8 hours.
2. When the time has passed, strain the liquid through a doubled cheesecloth in a separate container. Refrigerate until chilled. This amount of coffee can stay in the fridge for up to 3 weeks if kept tightly covered.
3. When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice and fill halfway with coffee. Add sugar and the creamer of your choice and top with whipped cream.

Photos: The Pioneer Woman, How Sweet Eats, Audi Rose.

Making home-made ice tea is really easy, and tastes better than the store-bought iced tea. When making your own, you are in control of the flavor and sugar. This ice tea is the perfect thirst-quencher for the scorching summer heat, and it’s healthy for you, too! Tea contains loads of antioxidants, especially black and green tea. Tea has been proven to block DNA damage associated with tobacco and other toxic chemicals. Tests performed on rats have found that rats who drank tea had less cancer. With all this in mind, it’s time to get cracking on making your very own iced tea!

Here’s what you’ll need: Tea of your choice, sugar (or honey or any other sweetener of your choice), sliced lemons, oranges, or limes, and mint leaves for serving.

Boil water and add 2-3 tea bags to steep. Add in your sweetener while the water is still hot and stir until it has dissolved. Taste to determine whether more sweetener is needed. Add in slices of lemon, orange, or lime if you like. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, remove tea bags, and pop it in the fridge to chill. When serving, add a genrous amount of ice cubes and mint leaves if desired.

That’s it! Easy to make, and super healthy, it’s hard to only drink one glass!

Photos: Yelp, Drizzle and Dip, Jugalbandi.