Coffee and Dessert-A Perfect Pairing

Coffee and dessert go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, night and day, or Thelma and Louise. I've teamed up with three blogging friends who love coffee and dessert as much as I do to bring you three of their favorite fall desserts to pair with three specialty coffee drinks I've made in the Ninja Coffee Bar System.

I was very excited to receive this Ninja Coffee Bar System (Model CF092) to review.  I am by no means a coffee snob but I do like a good cup of coffee.  I also like a coffee maker that is easy to use and can be depended on to produce a consistent cup of coffee day in and day-out.  In the past few years, I have used a Keurig single-serving system, a French press, and a Cuisinart drip coffee maker. The Keurig is sitting on a shelf in my basement, the French press is on a high shelf in the kitchen and the Cuisinart sits in my beverage center waiting for me to return to it while I take the Ninja Coffee Bar System for a test drive.  

I have been using the Ninja Coffee Bar System for four months and have been putting it through its paces.  It sure is a looker!  The combination of stainless steel, glass, and black looks very attractive on my kitchen counter.

Yummy Coffee Drinks to Pair with Dessert

This post includes a review of the Ninja Coffee Bar System which was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you purchase using these links I earn fees that help support this blog.)

The Ninja Coffee Bar System in My Home

The Ninja Coffee Bar System is so versatile it boggles the mind.  You can make a full carafe, a half carafe, or a single cup, in five brew types using the permanent basket.   I love that no coffee pods are necessary.  The classic, rich, over-ice, cafe forte, and specialty coffee brew options mean that nearly everyone can find a brew that meets their fancy.  You do have to read the manual to choose the appropriate amount of coffee to put in the basket, but selecting the various brews takes just a push of a button.  I've fallen in love with the rich brew for a deep rich cup of coffee to start my day every morning.

The built-in frother is handy to make a hot or cold froth to top your favorite coffee drink.  It detaches with a simple twist for easy cleaning.  You'll find the frother to be both handy and essential to making the fancy specialty coffees that go so perfectly with dessert, like cappuccino.  

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Whether you choose coffee pods or ground coffee for your morning coffee depends on your priorities.  I can't say coffee in pods is better than freshly ground coffee. If convenience and variety are important to you, coffee pods may be the way to go. However, if you prioritize customization and environmental impact, ground coffee may be a better choice.

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Coffee and Dessert

Cappuccino

Cappuccino

Makes one 12 ounce serving

• 4 tablespoons of ground coffee, or 4 ounces of double-strength coffee
• 1/2 cup milk
• ground cinnamon for garnish

Directions

Place the milk into a large mug. Warm the milk in a microwave for 30-45 seconds.  Froth for 30 seconds.  If using the Ninja Coffee Bar System, set the mug with the frothed milk in place and brew a single cup of coffee using the Specialty button.  If not using the Ninja, brew 4 ounces of double-strength coffee. Sweeten and sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish. 

A cup of this cappuccino would pair nicely with Country Life City Wife's pumpkin cheesecake.  Pumpkin cheesecake is one of my favorite fall desserts!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

One of Hubby's favorite specialty coffees is a caramel macchiato.  With a nod to him, I'm including this recipe for a Salted Caramel Latte.  I think this recipe is a perfect dessert coffee with a touch of sweet caramel flavor. Hubby, on the other hand, thought it should be a bit sweeter.  So, if you like sweet, add an additional tablespoon of salted caramel topping to your drink.

Salted Caramel Latte

Salted Caramel Latte

Makes one 12-ounce serving

• 4 tablespoons of ground coffee, or 4 ounces of double-strength coffee
• 2 Tablespoons salted caramel sauce (purchased)
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• additional salted caramel sauce in a squeeze bottle

Directions

Place the milk into a 2-cup measuring cup.  Stir the salted caramel sauce and milk together to combine.  Warm the mixture in a microwave for 30-45 seconds. Froth for 30-60 seconds, until at least double in volume.  If using the Ninja Coffee Bar System, brew a single cup of coffee using the Specialty button.  If not using the Ninja, brew 4 ounces of double-strength coffee. Holding back the foam, pour the milk mixture into the coffee.  Spoon the foam on top.  With the squeeze bottle, squeeze additional caramel sauce onto the foam in a decorative pattern.

This Salted Caramel Latte would pair very nicely with Little Feet Big Adventure's Cheesecake Sopapillas.  Yum!

My third dessert coffee is my personal favorite, Kahlua Amaretto Coffee.  I order it in restaurants and love to make it at home.  For this recipe I changed the setting on the Ninja Coffee Bar System, using the cafe forte setting for a nice, dark brew.

Kahlua Amaretto Coffee

Kahlua Amaretto Coffee

Makes one 12-ounce serving

• eight ounces, dark brewed coffee
• one ounce Kahlua
• one ounce amaretto
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, sweetened with 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• ground cinnamon
• cinnamon stick

Directions
Brew strong coffee.  If using the Ninja Coffee Bar System, choose the forte brew.    Prepare the sweetened whipped cream or make it with the frother on the Ninja.  Pour amaretto and Kahlua into the hot cup of coffee.  Top with the sweetened whipped cream.  Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and garnish with a stick of cinnamon for a stirrer.

I'm pairing this Kahlua Amaretto Coffee with And Hattie Makes Three's Butter Cake.

Gooey Butter Cake

My Bottom-Line Review of the Ninja Coffee Bar System

I think you can see how great the Ninja Coffee Bar System is for making specialty coffees, but the real test for this coffee maker comes day in and day-out as a workhorse in the kitchen.   It makes really great one-cup coffee servings that are the perfect temperature every time.  It also makes half-carafes and 10-cup full-carafes.  It has a warming plate to keep the coffee in the glass carafe hot for two hours.  The list of reasons to like this coffee maker is long, but my top three reasons are:

• I love the single-cup brew function without using coffee pods.  I like to control the quality of the coffee I use in my coffee maker.  I have been disappointed with coffee pods.

• I love the ease of cleanup.  The coffee basket cleans easily under running water.  The frother attaches and detaches very easily and tucks away in the back of the coffee maker.  The scoops attach to the side of the coffee maker.

• I love the versatility of the multiple brew settings.  

The one thing that doesn't work for me as well as I would like is specific to my kitchen design. The Ninja Coffee Bar System vents at the top of the coffee maker and can put out quite a bit of steam.  I have new cabinets in my kitchen and I am afraid of steam damaging the cabinets.  I designed a beverage center for my kitchen when we remodeled.  The depth of the counter in that space doesn't give me enough clearance to pull the Ninja far enough out from the cabinets to protect them from the steam.  That means I have to keep it in a spot on my counter that isn't ideal for me.  This might not be an issue for you at all.

All-in-all, the pluses of the Ninja Coffee Bar System far outway the one inconvenience I have found.  The Ninja Coffee Bar System is a welcome addition to the Just One Donna kitchen.  I know you will love it, too!

Essential Tools

Ninja Coffee Bar System
Great Coffee Mugs
Clear Coffee Mugs

Enjoy!