ICED BANANA MILK COFFEE

INGREDIENTS
1 mug of your favorite cold brew coffee or very strong brewed coffee ( I used Community Coffee Cafe Special), chilled with ice
1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 tablespoon simple syrup ( make sweeter if you want)

DIRECTIONS:

Chill the coffee with ice cubes if you are using brewed coffee. (Make your coffee stronger than normal.)

Whip the banana, milk and simple syrup together using an immersion blender or blender to create a frappe' or to a frothy consistency. Pour over the iced coffee. That's it! (Took me 2 minutes- but I always have frozen bananas in the freezer.)

The nice folks at Community Coffee asked me to throw a party featuring some of my favorite coffee recipes to celebrate National Coffee Day, September 29th.

If you don't know Community Coffee, check them out. Not only do they have one of the best coffees you'll find- (that is why so many restaurants use it) but they have fantastic flavored brews, too: Southern Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Praline, Hazelnut, French Vanilla... and many more. I used a few of them for my game day brunch menu---experiment and use your own favorite flavors. Another reason I like Community Coffee is that it is a family owned business with a passion for quality. They give back through their Cash for Schools, Military Match and other community driven programs. I LOVE that!

Coffee is the star of this tailgate brunch with spicy Thai Iced Coffee and the Coffee Glazed Cinnamon Rolls!

In the South, Saturday mornings in the fall are for football, friends and family. We all have our favorite recipes for game day or tailgating parties but by week 3, folks have tired of the wings and burgers and are looking for something different. My game-day brunch menu pairs easy Coffee Glazed Cinnamon Rolls with Cheese Grits, a slice and serve Frittata, coffee-rubbed pulled pork sliders and a spicy Thai Iced Coffee. Cold with a slight bit of spicy heat makes it perfect for these lingering, warm Fall days.

Coffee goes to the next level with spices which warm you up to start the day. Iced Coffee is the perfect tailgate kick off when the weather is warm. — Coffee goes to the next level with spices which warm you up to start the day. Iced Coffee is the perfect tailgate kick off when the weather is warm.

RECIPE: SPICY THAI ICED COFFEE

Summer has gone but in the South, we’ve still got a few warm weeks ahead. Thai Iced Coffee is sweet, smooth, spicy and cool- the perfect party starter for game day. Add a shot of rum or bourbon if you like.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup ground Community Coffee (I used Private Reserve Louisiana Blend)

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/3 teaspoon ground coriander

1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch kosher salt

3⁄4 cup milk (I used 2%)

DIRECTIONS:

Brew coffee with 4 cups water in your coffee maker. This will result in 4 cups of very strong coffee. Pour into a container and refrigerate until chilled.

In a small bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and the spices. Add the milk; whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until well chilled.

When ready to serve, fill 4 tall glasses with ice and divide coffee among glasses. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the coffee and serve.

For a large crowd, I will often pre-mix the coffee and milk and allow guests to help themselves. For tailgating, I suggest freezing the coffee and milk mixture in a large container. Put it into your cooler to transport; it not only will keep items in your cooler cold, it will thaw and become slushy. No need for additional ice.

Use coffee to make the glaze for these easy bake cinnamon rolls; you can also use a flavored coffee like Hazelnut!

RECIPE: HOMEMADE COFFEE GLAZE FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

Whether you make your own from scratch or just want to dress up the can variety of cinnamon roll, you'll love the flavor and richness of the coffee paired with cinnamon.

COFFEE GLAZE FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

Yield: Glaze for 12 cinnamon rolls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons strong coffee

drop vanilla extract

OPTIONAL

1/4 teaspoon coffee liqueur

1/2 teaspoon heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Add all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls. Allow to set slightly before serving.

COFFEE RUBBED BOSTON BUTT

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for many reasons. It feeds a big crowd without a lot of effort so it's perfect for a game day party. You can shred it for tacos, put it on a bun or do what we did: stuff it into a biscuit!

Use a rub of finely ground coffee (if you don't have a grinder, Community Coffee has one at many stores where you can grind you own beans.

COFFEE RUBBED BOSTON BUTT (PORK SHOULDER)

PREP TIME: 1 hour COOK TIME: 3 1/2-4 hours depending on size

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 ½ tablespoons coffee, finely ground

1 pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt) about 3-1/2 -4 pounds

DIRECTIONS:

Before you plan to cook the pork, take it out of the refrigerator for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together kosher salt and coffee and rub in into the pork, being sure to cover the entire surface of the meat with the mixture. Put the pork in heavy covered cast iron cooker, Dutch oven, or roasting pan. Allow it to sit for one hour before you put it in the oven.

Place in the oven. Turn the heat to 275 degrees. Cook until the port falls apart when you press it with the back of a fork—approximately 3-1/2 to 4 hours or about an hour per pound. Remove it from the oven and let it rest covered for 15 minutes. (Of course, you can also cook this in your Crock-Pot or slow cooker,)

Shred the pork and serve; you may use it to fill a tortilla, on a bun, or on your favorite biscuit!