Cozy up with a steamy mug of coffee scented with fresh orange zest and ground cardamom – it’s especially delicious spiked with aged rum. 

I worked in a local coffee shop during my senior year in college. I absolutely loved that job! One of my favorite drinks on our menu was half coffee and half hot chocolate, flavored with orange and vanilla. It was full of flavor, but because we used extract instead of flavored syrups, it wasn’t sticky or overly sweet.

A few weeks ago Shawn and I went out for dinner and decided to order dessert. I was pretty excited to see that they also had dessert coffees – it’s been so long since I’ve been anyplace that’s served them, and I honestly forgot they were a thing.

I’ve been on a dessert coffee kick ever since. The orange in this one was inspired by the drinks we used to make at the coffee shop. The bright citrus combined with cardamom is the perfect way to bring a little brightness to a dreary winter day and whipped cream adds the perfect touch of sweetness. (I know… cardamom cookies, chai French toast casserole…I’m cardamom-obsessed at the moment!)

I also added a hefty splash of The Real McCoy’s 5-year aged rum to my coffee – not enough to make the coffee totally boozy, but enough to give it a nice kick and add another layer of complexity. (The rum is aged in bourbon barrels, which give it an amazing flavor.)

Since I used orange zest instead of liquid flavoring, you can prepare the coffee grounds a few days before you plan on brewing them – a container of flavored coffee and a bottle of rum makes an excellent last-minute gift for the holidays. Leave some out for Santa with a plate of Nutella-stuffed oatmeal cookies, have a mug on New Year’s Eve when you need some caffeine to keep awake, or serve it with New Year’s brunch (I won’t tell!).

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by The Real McCoy Rums. I was given samples as well as a gift card to use for ingredients. Please drink responsibly.