On Cooking with Creamer

Taken from an Amazon.com item

During visits to the gas station as kids, my brother and I loved to sneak the free International Delight creamer cups from the coffee area.  We had our parents’ bemused permission, though they usually limited us to one creamer per kid.  Over time, we tried out each flavor, just drinking them straight.  French vanilla quickly became my favorite, and I chose that exclusively.  Of course, with maturity, I restrained myself more... which meant taking one only on “special occasions.”  This changed when I began drinking black tea: I started buying the large bottles of I.D. French vanilla creamer at the grocery, as well as gas-station-sized individual cups to keep at work since fridge space is limited.  
             Of course, I'll still sip French vanilla creamer straight from time to time—usually from a shot glass now—and I can't resist licking the residue in an individual cup after I pour the bulk of the creamer into my tea at work.  However, having all this creamer on hand, I have by experimentation devised several other methods of creamer consumption, some common and some relatively novel.  Behold:

1. Tea (as noted before) (35 calories for tea with one TBSP of creamer)

French vanilla best complements Tazo Organic Chai and unflavored black teas such as English Breakfast.  It tastes amazing in peach black tea, too, but sadly the brand I tried is apparently no longer producing it, and local stores only sell peach herbal (rather than black) tea.  I will note that Earl Gray and many herbals taste better with an unflavored creamer, if any, though French vanilla does alright in a pinch.  However, French vanilla does not at all suit the two teas I’ve tried that use yerba mate.

 

2. Cocoa (roughly 80 calories when made with water)

Fill a mug a little over halfway full of water or milk, and add roughly ¼ part French vanilla creamer.  (Take care to leave enough room in the mug for stirring in the cocoa powder.)  Heat till hot in the microwave, and stir in one heaping spoonful (exact amount to taste) of cocoa powder.  Variations: optionally sprinkle with cayenne pepper, with cinnamon and/or nutmeg and cloves, or a drop or two of peppermint extract.  Enjoy!

3. Fudge in a Mug (180 calories)  

One might alternately think of this like a thick fudge frosting.  Whatever it is, it’s delicious (assuming one likes chocolate).  In a mug, measure 4 TBSP powdered sugar, 2 TBSP cocoa powder, and 1 TBSP French vanilla creamer.  Stir till well-blended, heat 8 seconds in a microwave, and stir till smooth.  Enjoy!  

Note: if the fudge sits out or in the fridge a while and becomes dry and hard, add a little more creamer, reheat, and stir.  To make an 8x8 pan of fudge, change the TBSP measurements above to cups and repeat the heating/stirring as needed before pouring it into a pan to cool.  This variety of fudge will stay softer than most baked recipes even when cool, though it can become unpleasantly hard and brittle when dried out, so cover excess with plastic wrap.

4. Peanut Butter cream treat (2 TBSP peanut butter = around 300 calories)

This, with perhaps a side of salad or tea, serves as dinner sometimes when I’m too lazy to cook, or as a snack between meals.  With a spoon, scoop a large dollop of peanut butter into a mug (2-4 TBSP worth).  Add French vanilla creamer to taste (I use roughly equal parts PB and creamer), and stir till blended.  Note that stirring takes a little while—it’ll look like it won’t blend, then it’ll look chunky, but eventually it will become smooth.  

5. Icing/Frosting

For icing, eyeball a mixture of powdered sugar and a little French vanilla creamer.  Stir in more of one or the other till you have the desired consistency.  Optionally add peanut butter or cocoa powder or some other complementary flavor.  To thicken icing into frosting, add half as much butter or shortening (or a mixture of the two) as the sugar.  (Butter provides flavor, but shortening won’t slide off the side of a cake in warm weather.)

6. French Vanilla Pumpkin Pie

I’ll mention this, though I fear I can’t give you the exact recipe since I can’t recall exactly how I made it.  Perhaps I’d needed a substitute for vanilla or evaporated milk, or simply wanted to experiment with adding French vanilla creamer.  Whatever we did, we liked it.  :)

7. French Vanilla Milk

Many nights, Joel and I will indulge in “milk-caps,” sometimes with plain milk, but other times with a dash (or more) of creamer to make it dessert-like.  I find this variation superior, though generally comparable, to the aspartame- and vanilla-sweetened milk my little brother and I liked to drink as kids.  

8. French Vanilla Ice Cream

French vanilla creamer could substitute for part of a traditional ice cream recipe in a crank-operated device.  However, I also discovered how to make a simple, personal-sized version, though I can’t recommend this treat as much as others since it requires so much time to prepare.  However, if you crave ice cream but not a trip to the store, here’s what you can do: Fill a mug with your desired mixture of milk and creamer.  Stick it in the freezer for about ten to fifteen minutes, then stir.  Return it to the freezer and set a timer so you can stir it every five minutes for perhaps a half hour until you achieve the desired consistency.  To create chocolate ice cream, first heat the milk and creamer and mix in a spoonful of cocoa powder (it mixes in best when it’s warm).  Let it cool, and then commence the freezer/stirring procedure.

       9. French vanilla creamer as Pancake Syrup

Who needs maple syrup, corn syrup, or honey on their pancakes?  Instead, try soaking them in French vanilla creamer.  This combo is especially tasty when using a Belgian pancake mix.  For a little more stick-to-itiveness (or stick-to-your-ribs-ness), make the peanut butter cream treat above and slather that on your pancakes!

     10. Strawberries and Cream
Instead of dipping your strawberries and shortcake in raw sugar, whipped cream, and the like, try coating them in French vanilla creamer—or if you like your cream thicker, sweeten some heavy whipping cream with French vanilla creamer instead of sugar and vanilla before turning on the mixer.

Tell me about your own creamer-inspired recipes in the comments below!