CozyTown Assume Nothing Drink Recipe

By Meri Jane 

“Assume Nothing!” A mantra for The Crown as we worked towards opening our doors in March of 2019, the phrase became a Menu section, encouraging our visitors to drop their preconceptions and be open to new and delicious experiences. And now it’s the title of a drink recipe series, for you to recreate at home. Here’s to a year of assuming nothing!

CozyTown Signature Beverage

Need a one-way ticket to CozyTown? We got you! Our new signature drink is channeling the coziest of vibes to help get you through the end of winter. When pondering the idea for this drink, I wanted to create a vibe that was comparable to sipping a warm beverage while sitting on a shag carpet, by the fireplace, in a log cabin in the woods, in the middle of a snowstorm…or you know, something like that… Either way, CozyTown is sure to make you feel right at home. CozyTown is a cappuccino with a syrup made from New York Macintosh Apples, Medjool Dates, Rosemary, Maple Syrup, and just a hint of Cinnamon; garnished “salted rim” style with ground up house-made Candied Pecans and Pomegranate Molasses, and the cutest sprig of Rosemary. And for all you Goldilocks out there, busting into log cabins in the forest with your hyper-specific hot/cold preferences, CozyTown is available hot or iced. So come on down to The Crown and sneak away to CozyTown! 

Ingredients

Syrup

• ¼ Gallon of Apple Cider 
• 3 Apples (diced) 
• ½ pint of Medjool Dates (pitted & diced) 
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar 
• ½ cup Maple Syrup 
• 1 large bundles of Rosemary 
• 2 Cinnamon sticks 
• ½ Lemon (just the zest!) 
• 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract 
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt 

Candied Pecans:

• 85g Pecan halves 
• 38g Brown Sugar 
• 6g Maple Syrup 
• 4g Pomegranate Molasses 
• ¾ tbsp Water 
• ¾ tsp Ground Cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract 
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt 

Preparation: 

Syrup:

1. Remove seeds and pits from apples and dates and chop finely. 
2. Add Apple Cider, Apples, Dates, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon Sticks, and Lemon Zest to a large pot, set to medium-high heat and bring to a boil (stirring frequently) 
3. Let boil for 10 minutes, still stirring frequently 
4. Add Rosemary and let boil for 5 more minutes 
5. Remove from heat and remove Cinnamon Sticks and Rosemary sprigs (as best you can) 
6. Stir in Vanilla Extract and Sea Salt 
7. Strain into vessel of choice (and press to make sure you get all the good stuff) 
8. Taste it (because you know it’s going to be delicious) 

Candied Pecan Crumble:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. In a medium skillet, heat Pecans over low-heat and cook until nice & toasty. Watch closely as the nuts cook so that they don’t burn. 
3. In a medium pot, add the Brown Sugar, Pomegranate Molasses, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract, and Water. 
4. Place the pot over medium-heat and cook, stirring often, until the brown sugar melts into a bubbling sauce, about 1 minute. 
5. Stir in the Pecans so that the brown sugar sauce coats them. 
6. Cook, stirring the entire time, until the Pecans look candied and smell nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. As the nuts heat up in the pan, the sauce will slowly coat them and turn shiny.  
7. Transfer the candied pecans to the prepared baking sheet and spread them out in one layer and allow them to cool down and dry out, preferable overnight (try to avoid snacking on them, if you can) 
8. Once cooled and dried, grind into a crumble using a spice grinder.  

Check out the Assume Nothing series, and if you are in the Bay Area, stop by The Crown to taste the seasonal signature beverage.