3 Flavorful Ways to Transform Your Coffee Game

Mexican Coffee, Vietnamese Iced Coffee and Italian Affogato are displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Mexican Coffee, Vietnamese Iced Coffee and Italian Affogato are displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Photo by: Jason DeCrow

Jason DeCrow

Step 1: Wake up.

Step 2: Drink coffee.

If that’s how your mornings usually go, you’re surely not alone. But for many, coffee is more than just a 6 a.m. pick-me-up; it’s also an after-dinner treat, often enjoyed both at home and when dining out. On the latest episode of The Kitchen, the co-hosts introduced a trio of dressed-up coffees, each of them ideal for evening sipping. Read on below for spiced, spiked and iced variations on the cups of joe you know and love.

Italian Affogato is displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Italian Affogato is displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Photo by: Jason DeCrow

Jason DeCrow

“My coffee’s doubling actually as dessert,” Katie Lee revealed of her affogato, a gelato-based dish that boasts not one but two grown-up flavors. She douses the ice cream with shots of both vanilla-flavored vodka and hot espresso, which slowly melts the ice cream and turns the mixture richly creamy.

Mexican Coffee is displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Mexican Coffee is displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Photo by: Jason DeCrow

Jason DeCrow

Just as Mexican chocolate gets its signature flavor from bold spices, so too does Jeff Mauro’s Mexican-inspired coffee. He brings together cinnamon, chili powder and espresso-flavored tequila to create a warming combination.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee is displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee is displayed, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen, Season 12.

Photo by: Jason DeCrow

Jason DeCrow

It takes only two ingredients to turn out this chilly concoction from Sunny Anderson. The key to her recipe is Vietnamese-grown coffee, which is markedly strong. She balances the coffee with sweetened condensed milk, which “does everything for you,” Sunny noted. “It gives you the cream, it gives you the sweetener.”

Tune in to The Kitchen on Saturdays at 11a|10c.

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