Explore Baking Pairings with Your Espresso Machine

Where you find coffee enthusiasts, there’s a good chance that lovers of baked goods won’t be far behind. The different kinds of cookies, brownies, breads, and cakes pair with the many different varieties of coffee in a multitude of wonderful ways. Deciding to add an espresso machine to your lineup is exciting as well as delicious but before long, you’ll be longing for the perfect baked goods to go with all the new coffee drinks you learn to make with your machine. Explore baking pairings that go together with specific espresso drinks to enhance your kitchen or café.

The Sweet Stuff
There are pairings between baked goods and cappuccino that work all year round and some that are seasonally popular. In the latter case, we have to wait until the cafes decide that the time is right before enjoying our seasonal favorites but when you learn to make your own, you’ll never have to wait again.

• We’ve all heard about the frenzy of everything pumpkin spice that begins when the leaves turn. While it can seem like the pumpkin spice craze is a bit much, we’re still guilty of ordering the latte and muffin we’ve secretly wanted since March. With your home machine, you can use syrups and spices to make your own pumpkin spice cappuccino and pair it with pumpkin breads, muffins, and cake. Experiment with other options like fruits and spices that you’ve always wondered about pairing before.
• Later in winter, warm yourself with classic cinnamon or peppermint in your cappuccino and bake the chocolatey comfort foods that make the weather outside seem less than frightful. Use your home machine to step out of the season and enjoy these comfort food options no matter what the temperature happens to be.
•  Springtime often means berries and bright colors as well as a separation from hot drinks. Your cappuccino machine doesn’t have to go dormant when the weather warms up. Blend ice cream and other flavors into your cappuccino with some ice to have a treat that can be paired with all your favorite berries and brightly colored cookies.
•  In the summer, give your cappuccino a little kick by adding coffee liquor or other creamy dessert liquors to the mix after it is brewed. Pour it over ice or blend with ice cream and pair with fruit pies, puddings, every dessert that is finished with whipped topping. Your barbeques and other outdoor parties will never be the same.

Getting to Know Your Baked Goods
If you're not great in the kitchen, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the baked good pairings that will go well with your espresso machine. There are ways around this issue that don’t include a trip to the bakery.

• You can rejoice in the advent of recipes for baked goods that can be mixed in a mug and cooked in the microwave. These options take a few minutes and yield a delicious result that won’t make you feel guilty about overeating.
• Quick bread, muffin, cookie, brownie, and cake mixes can be found in any supermarket and are so simple to make they’re nearly impossible to mess up. Mix them according to directions or use baseline mixes like yellow cake, vanilla, or multigrain to experiment with different spices, flavorings, and fruits that can be easily added to pair with the cappuccino drinks you create.
• Do you have a friend that bakes? Ask for help! Do a cookie exchange or baking party with friends so that the ones who are good at it can teach those who want to learn. You can share the recipes you’ve made using your cappuccino machine and learn about how to bake the things you want to pair at the same time.

Do a Little Research
The beauty of living in this digital age is that you can learn almost anything from the internet. A quick search can give you recipes, instructional videos, and inspiration for your next experiment.

•  From social media sites to cooking websites and even the popular video websites like Hulu and YouTube (among others), you’ll find everything you need to go from bakery patron to ruler of the kitchen.
• Print out your favorite recipes and ideas for a baking binder or scrap book and add the recipes for your espresso machine next to the baked good pairings you liked best.
• Start a page or group on social media and invite your friends to join you in your baking discoveries. You can share your mishaps and successes to learn from each other and keep finding new ideas.

The Importance of Proper Maintenance
When you being using your espresso machine all the time, don’t forget that more use requires more maintenance. The cleaning and other things you did before you began using your machine heavily won’t be enough to keep it working at top performance. Create a system within your kitchen to keep maintenance easy to do and quick to complete. Keep a basin of hot water and soap near the sink for only items associated with the cappuccino machine so that you can get things cleaning as soon as you’re finished using them. Your system can help you keep things clean as you bake to pair new gourmet options with your favorite cappuccino drinks. If you’re ever unsure, call customer service or consult your user’s manual to find the answers you need. With a little bit of work, you can enjoy your espresso machine as the perfect pairing to your baked goods for many years to come.