Sally's Kitchen
The Last Taste of Summer
I don't really believe in a hard line between summer and fall — around here it's more of a two-week negotiation where the tomatoes are still going but you've already started thinking about apples. This batch of recipes lives right in that window. Fig cake because figs are only good for about six weeks a year and I refuse to waste a single one of them. A shaken blackberry Earl Grey latte because I had a jar of syrup in the fridge and got curious. And a white chocolate spin on my apple latte because I got bored of caramel, honestly.
None of these needed a whole production. Try what looks good, skip what doesn't — that's the whole point of a kitchen roundup.
White Chocolate Apple Latte
Sweet cinnamon-glazed apples, but buttery and almost custardy instead of caramel-forward. Same drink I make every fall, one swap in.

Ingredients
- Espresso shot (or 4 oz strong brewed coffee) — any smooth medium roast works, the syrup carries the flavor
- 1–2 Tbsp white chocolate sauce, divided
- 3 Tbsp Apple Crisp Syrup, divided
- 6–8 oz (1 cup) milk of your choice
- Ice cubes
- White Chocolate Cold Foam (2 Tbsp heavy cream, 2 Tbsp milk, 2 Tbsp white chocolate syrup)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Bruleed apple slice, optional
Method
- In a glass, combine your hot brewed coffee, 1 Tbsp white chocolate sauce, and 2 Tbsp Apple Crisp Syrup. Stir until fully combined.
- Drizzle additional white chocolate sauce and syrup around the inside of your tumbler, if you're feeling fancy. Fill halfway with ice. Pour milk over the ice, then slowly pour the coffee mixture on top.
- Top with White Chocolate Cold Foam. Dust with cinnamon and a bruleed apple slice.
Want the seasonal version? Dutch Apple Strudel Coffee is a Nostalgia Day pick around through the end of the month — nice touch, not required.
Iced Blackberry London Fog
Bold Earl Grey, real blackberries, and espresso — shaken in a mason jar until it froths on its own. The full syrup deep-dive is over in Beyond the Cup: Earl Grey, if you want to see everywhere else the syrup goes.

Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Earl Grey Syrup
- 1 oz (2 Tbsp) blackberry syrup, blackberry jam, or fresh blackberries
- Espresso shot (or 4 oz strong brewed French Vanilla)
- 4–6 oz milk of choice
- Ice cubes
- Earl Grey Cold Foam (2 Tbsp heavy cream, 1 Tbsp milk, 1–2 Tbsp Earl Grey Syrup)
Method
- Combine Earl Grey Syrup, blackberries, and espresso in a mason jar. Cover and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds — a froth appears when it's ready.
- Remove the lid, fill with ice, and add milk of choice.
- Top with Earl Grey Cold Foam.
Chocolate & Espresso Fig Cake
Figs are jammy for about six weeks a year, and this is what I do with them while they last — chocolate and coffee bring out the caramel and honey notes already in the fruit.

Ingredients
- 6 oz dried figs, chopped
- ¼ cup hot Fig & Honey Coffee, plus 1 Tbsp finely ground Fig & Honey Coffee
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup sugared pecans, chopped
- Whipped cream and honey, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess, and line the bottom with a parchment round.
- Pour the hot Fig & Honey Coffee over the chopped figs. Let sit 3–5 minutes until mostly absorbed and jammy. Set aside to cool.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Beat sugar, ground Fig & Honey Coffee, and butter until combined, about 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Increase speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Fold in the jammy figs, then the dry ingredients, then the chopped chocolate.
- Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 30–35 minutes until just set.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove using the parchment handles. Serve with whipped cream, a drizzle of honey, and sugared pecans.
Still in Rotation
Two more that fit right into this stretch of the calendar — Sweet Corn Latte and Zucchini Bread Latte with Maple Cold Foam. Both hold up whether you're still deep in garden season or already picturing sweaters.
That's the batch. Try the one that's calling to you, skip the rest — no homework here. If you make any of these, I want to know, and if you've got your own end-of-summer combination, the Recipe Box is always open for ideas.