I’m not a heavy coffee drinker but there’s something comforting about a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning. And we’ve had very cold mornings this week, so I’ve been drinking more coffee than usual! Most of the time, I just drink my coffee with cream, but it’s a nice change to have this Vanilla Spice Coffee every now and then. It’s not a super-sweet coffee drink, so if you prefer it sweeter you can add more sugar. The vanilla-cinnamon-nutmeg flavors are great together and if you add some whipped cream on top, you just may feel like you’re at your favorite coffeehouse! 🙂

VANILLA SPICE COFFEE by NancyC, adapted from Gooseberry Patch

Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup light cream (Half & Half)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar (or a little more, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) of hot, strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Whipped cream and ground cinnamon for garnish

Combine milk, light cream, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan and stir well. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until sugar dissolves (or you can heat in the microwave, in a medium size microwave-safe bowl with a lip, for 45 to 60 seconds). Remove from heat and stir in hot coffee and vanilla (you can taste it at this point and if you’d like it sweeter, add more sugar). Pour into coffee mugs; garnish with whipped cream and a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon, and serve.

You may notice that the cinnamon and nutmeg won’t totally dissolve in the coffee as you’re making this, but that’s okay–just blend it as well as you can. I think the whipped cream topping with the additional sprinkle of cinnamon really makes this special–and you can use light whipped cream if you’re watching calories.

What’s your favorite flavored coffee drink? Do you make it yourself or get it from a coffee shop?