This month’s Covers & Cocktails is pretty important to me because I’ve read my first category romance! It’s about time, right?
It’s July and I hate this time of year, mainly because I hate the heat. I am firmly a jeans and sweaters kind of girl. I’m also moving apartments in a few weeks. No one likes moving and my apartment is in disarray, which is already driving me bonkers. What I’m trying to say is that I really needed this drink today.
Forbidden Night with the Prince by Michelle Willingham is my selection this month and I was originally taken with the cover. The hero reminds me of Chris Evans in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. When I read that the heroine believes she’s cursed since her last three betrothals have ended in death, that was the push I needed.
Marriage plays a huge part of plot. Everyone knows about the heroine Joan’s bad luck and they do their best to steer clear of her. In order to counteract the gossip, she dresses in all white, complete with a veil. However, at this point, she believes that the rest of her life will be spent in a convent and not being married with a family. Ronan, the hero, is fighting to take back his kingdom from his stepmother and stepbrother. In order to do that, he needs an army. But there’s a catch. Joan’s brothers are willing to give him the men he needs; he’ll just have to convince Joan to marry him first. Not only will an alliance between Norman and Irish families be beneficial, but the brothers desperately want to see their sister happy.
Joan is really the inspiration for this. I wanted a drink that would combine sweetness, some bitterness, and of course, be white. The drink can best be described as a white chocolate coffee martini. Now in real life, I hate white chocolate, but I’m really happy with the faux white chocolate taste of this drink. The addition of the coffee really cuts it, as well as the vodka. It’s really dang good and goes down easy. The drink isn’t overly sweet, thanks to the coffee. It almost felt like a drinking a dessert and I could have easily gone for another one.
Proportions:
1.5 oz. vanilla vodka
1.5 oz. white creme de cocoa
1 oz. half and half
1 oz. iced coffee or cold brew
Directions:
- Chill your glass before hand.
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker full of ice.
- Shake it!
- Pour into your glass!
Modifications and notes:
- I used chocolate syrup to decorate the inside of the glass and a York Peppermint Patty as a garnish. Neither of these things are necessary, just delicious.
- Use any vanilla vodka of your choosing. I have a soft spot for Pinnacle’s whipped flavor.
- Be sure to get the white variety of creme de cocoa. Usually, it’ll have an image of white chocolate on the label.
- If you’re curious about my cold brew pitcher, it’s the 1-Quart Takeya Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker. I prefer cold coffee over hot coffee and it’s so easy to use. Just pour around 15 tablespoons of your favorite coffee into the filter, fill with water, and let it refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours.
Cheers!
I don’t generally drink alcohol, but I could see making an exception for this!
sounds delicious!
oh Wow I can’t believe this is your first category romance!! That bit about her wearing white, including a veil is a little crazy but I think I have to read this one. thx.
15 tablespoons of ground coffee is almost 1 cup. 1 cup of ground coffee to make 4 cups of coffee?
@LML: Yep, those are the directions that came with the pitcher. I’m not sure if the fact that it’s iced coffee makes the difference in terms of proportions. When I make a hot cup of coffee, I only use a couple tablespoons for the Keurig and about a mug of water.
Caffeine and other stuff in coffee is not really water soluble. This is why coffee is generally made with hot, not boiling because that is too hot for some of the chemicals responsible for flavor, water. Cold extraction works too, but to get the same effect you need a lot more grounds to begin with since cold water extracts less and also different components. Hence the difference of ‘cold brew’ and ‘cold coffee’s.(Disclaimer: I am not a barista, but a chemist).
@Mona: Thank you so much! It was a much better response than my, “IDK, science does a thing.”