I’m calling for a cooking revolution. Every day after school in the weeks leading up to March break, a friend and I ventured out to Peet’s in Wellesley, and every day I ordered an iced coffee and sat at our claimed corner for hours on end. Much to my dismay, because of quarantine, I haven’t been back at Peet’s in over a month. And I am so sad. However, after coming across a handful of recipes recently, I realized something: I could bring part of Peet’s back home by making my own drinks and treats. So here it is! Some standard coffee shop recipes that may just make quarantine a little more bearable.

Whipped coffee

Let’s begin with something that some have said has done the impossible: bridged the generational divide. Doesn’t matter if you were scrolling through Facebook or Tiktok or Instagram, you’ve probably come across a whipped coffee video. This particular recipe is from @imhannahcho on tiktok:

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp instant coffee (very important that instant coffee is used, or you’ll be stirring for 30 min for nothing)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp hot water

Then either mix by hand for a good 20-30 min, or use a hand mixer. Mix until whipped, then add to a glass of milk, and there you go! Whipped coffee. 

Chocolate lava mug cake

A bit ambitious, I know, but here’s a chocolate lava mug cake recipe from the website https://agrandelife.net/ (I did try to find a recipe that didn’t require so many ingredients, but to no avail. Maybe you can pull a me and use your family’s last bit of sugar for the sake of the cake):

Ingredients: 

• ¼ a cup of flour
• ¼ a cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• ½tsp baking powder 
• 3 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) 

Mix dry ingredients in a mug until combined, then add the wet ingredients (excluding the water). Mix again, then add chocolate chips to the middle of the mug. Drizzle the tbsp of water on top of everything, then microwave for about 1:30 minutes.

Japanese pancakes

Not that Peet’s serves these, but maybe they should. I have spent years telling myself that one day I will make those famous Japanese fluffy pancakes, and during this quarantine I finally attempted it. To be real, they didn’t come out exactly like in all the videos I’ve seen online, but they were some of the best pancakes I’ve ever made. Making Japanese fluffy pancakes is a bit complicated, so I’m going to link the website rather than try and explain it myself: https://www.justonecookbook.com/souffle-pancake/  This recipe in particular was really helpful since they actually had pictures included in their step-by-step instruction, so I would definitely recommend it.

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

If you don’t have a peanut allergy, keep reading! If you do, my sincerest apologies. You won’t like what’s coming, from @foodies on tiktok: 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• (optional) half a cup of chocolate chips

Mix together, then divide into 12 and place onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes.

Peanut butter cups

Can you tell that I love peanut butter? Here’s an easy recipe for peanut butter cups from the website Tasty, the Buzzfeed food blog:

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp powdered sugar, sifted 
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup chocolate, melted

Place 6 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin. Stir peanut butter and powdered sugar together in a separate bowl until smooth. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate in the bottom of each cupcake liner. Then place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate. Cover each dollop of peanut butter with more chocolate and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chocolate has hardened. Remove peanut butter cups from the liners, and voila!