Remembering my favorite destinations with Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy

I’ve never been much of a morning person, so a smooth, rich cup of coffee (or three!) helps me to get ready for a day of caring for 4 mischievous pugs, a household full of chores and client meetings. My morning ritual starts with a coffee while reading the newspaper, followed by another cup over email and a final cup to enjoy while thinking about the day before me. It’s my calm before heading into that day’s storm.

I’ve been drinking coffee since I first moved to Chicago after college. Never black; always with heavy creamer and sweetener. Coffee-mate has several flavors with a range of sweetness — from Original, to Italian Sweet Cream, to its newest offering — Extra Sweet & Creamy. I think I’ve tried virtually every flavor of Coffee-mate over the years, and the new Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy is by far the creamiest of their flavors. And it’s sweet enough on its own…no need to add any other sweetener.

Admittedly, I’m a bit of a coffee snob; if I can’t have a good cup of coffee I’d rather have none. After years of taste testing, I’ve learned that I like best a medium roast coffee with a bold flavor – and that’s because I like a lot of creamer in my coffee. Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy gives even a very bold cup of coffee an incredibly creamy texture.

Where can Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy take you?

Coffee isn’t just for the morning. It’s part of special moments, destinations and adventures anytime of the day or night. For me, enjoying a cup of coffee celebrates those little moments that I want to savor, like catching up with an old friend I haven’t seen in way too long or my first trip to Europe. While a great cup of coffee with Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy has the ability to transform me into a polite human being in the morning, it also has the ability to transport me to some of my favorite destination memories any time of the day or night. 

A sweet and creamy cup of coffee can remind me of my first trips to Paris, Amsterdam and the Amalfi Coast of Italy. In Paris, I watched the people walk by a sidewalk cafe while sipping on a cafe au lait. And though it rained during my entire trip to Amsterdam, my fun wasn’t dampened because my cup was always filled with great coffee.  And for those days when I want to escape back to my memories of the Island of Capri, I’ll close my eyes and enjoy a cup of coffee with Coffee-mate Italian Sweet Cream.

I’ve always found coffee and the culture around coffee to be fascinating and inspiring. As a baker, I like to use coffee as an ingredient in my recipes. Nothing pairs with a hot cup of coffee like something warm from the oven. You’d be surprised what you can whip up in your microwave oven. After trying Coffee-mate’s newest flavors, I was inspired to create a Mug Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe featuring Coffee-mate Extra Creamy & Sweet creamer. It cooks in under 90 seconds and is a sweet, creamy treat to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee – any time of the day!

Mug Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy

To commemorate the newest Coffee-mate flavors, Baked Chicago is giving away 5 full-value product coupons ($20 value) to one reader. Share your favorite coffee-related destination memory below for a chance to win. You can also follow Baked Chicago on Twitter for more creative recipes, and follow Coffee-mate on Twitter for more delicious fun and giveaway opportunities.

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.