Eat This While You Read That: MCA Hogarth
Ove the years of doing this series, I like to think I've gotten much-improved at food photography. However... this was a challenge! It's delicious, but making it look as lovely as it tasted took some thought and more than one attempt. Ask me if I minded sipping variations... go on! Try it yourself!
When I asked for the dish and a book, I didn't realize that one of MCA Hogarth's series has a recipe at the back of each book. She sent me this one, from MindTouch (available from all the ebook sellers as well as Amazon). The awesome thing here? The book is free! So you can try out the series, the author if you don't already know of her, and there's more goodies where this came from.
The recipe itself is simplicity to make, but then, it gets complicated.
Elegant Demitasse cup courtesy of Tatters & Ravelings, and you can own it if you enjoy the finer nineteenth century things in life! She kindly loaned it to me for the photoshoot of Kerinne, and we all agreed this beverage deserved such a pretty presentation. You catch much more comments and hilarity on this episode of Live! from the Blanket Fort.
Kerinne
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
1/4 c cream
pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)
In a saucepan, or the microwave, melt together butter, cinnamon, and honey. Add cream, stir until combined. Leave on the burner on low, if using the saucepan method, until mixture is steaming gently. If using the microwave, zap and stir in 30 second intervals until steaming. Season with salt if needed.
At this point, you can mix this with 1-3 cups of milk, warmed.
Assembling ingredients, including making fresh finely-ground coffee.
However, I opted to take it in a little bit different direction, and used it to make Cuban coffee, in homage to MCA Hogarth's heritage.
You'll want about as many shots of espresso as you have people you're giving it to, plus a bit extra each. I had five people, and 6 shots of espresso. In each cup they got about a tablespoonful of Kerinne as well as about a quarter cup of espresso (a serving of espresso is 60 mL, ergo 1/4 c). Stirred well, and served.
Kerinne by itself is very flexible. You could mix it with milk, coffee, tea, and many other options. I've got plans for a Kerinne Ice Cream.
This is so very good in coffee. It's rich, sweet, and potently spicy, but that's offset by the bitterness of the brew itself. All of us that tried it the day I borrowed the demitasse cup agreed it's delicious and we have to try it again, just to be sure.
A bit of beauty to warm your soul, with some cuteness to add the warm 'n fuzzy.
So! Go download MindTouch, and sip your Kerinne spiced beverage while you read. This one's perfect for a quiet day where you can escape from the world and spend some time resting and recuperating.
You can find the full ETWYRT Index here, some 80+ recipes and counting.