Thanks a Latte!
Do you see what I did there?
Oh, internet, have I got a recipe for you.
It's spring here in Texas, and that means warmer weather, which means that I can't drink hot coffee all day long without bursting into a ball of flame, so sometime around 11:00 a.m., I switch to something iced.
Though I try and support our hometown coffeeshop for beans and hot beverages, when it comes to iced lattes, I prefer the poncy, corporate monster of the green mermaid. Oh, how I love Starbucks lattes. I do. With the fiery burning passion of a thousand suns.
However, they're also so expensive that if you want more than one a week, you have to take out a small personal loan. So, I have searched high and low (in my kitchen) for a suitable alternative. And I think I've found it.
1) First, you make a cold brew of coffee concentrate. Combine a cup of coarsely ground coffee with four cups of water and let it hang out in the fridge for 8 - 24 hours. (I used a quart canning jar.) Once it's good and strong, you strain it through a cheesecloth 2 or 3 times to remove that black sludgy stuff. All you want is the coffee, none of the grounds. Even the very, very small ones. You want your latte to be good to the last drop, as it were.
2) Then you fill a glass with ice cubes. I use frozen coffee cubes, because that way, the coffee doesn't get diluted; it's all coffee, all the time, like God intended.
3) When you've prepared your glass or cup, you pour in some of your coffee concentrate, followed by a few tablespoons of the syrup flavor of your choice. Personally, I use sugar free syrups; World Market has small sizes, and Speculoos (read: COOKIE BUTTER! flavor) and places like TJ Maxx have less expensive syrups. You can also google how to make simple syrup (SO EASY) and make that and keep it in the fridge. It's good for iced coffees as well as mixed drinks. Win/win!
4) Lastly, you fill up your glass with your milk of choice. Go fat free for less calories, whole milk for decadence, almond milk or coconut milk for various tastes. The world is your oyster. Let your clutch out.
Let me just say, it is worth it. They're really, really good. And cheaper (in the long run) than Starbucks.
Or you can go to the coffeeshop near you. Or just come visit me, and I'll make you one. :)
Oh, internet, have I got a recipe for you.
It's spring here in Texas, and that means warmer weather, which means that I can't drink hot coffee all day long without bursting into a ball of flame, so sometime around 11:00 a.m., I switch to something iced.
Though I try and support our hometown coffeeshop for beans and hot beverages, when it comes to iced lattes, I prefer the poncy, corporate monster of the green mermaid. Oh, how I love Starbucks lattes. I do. With the fiery burning passion of a thousand suns.
However, they're also so expensive that if you want more than one a week, you have to take out a small personal loan. So, I have searched high and low (in my kitchen) for a suitable alternative. And I think I've found it.
1) First, you make a cold brew of coffee concentrate. Combine a cup of coarsely ground coffee with four cups of water and let it hang out in the fridge for 8 - 24 hours. (I used a quart canning jar.) Once it's good and strong, you strain it through a cheesecloth 2 or 3 times to remove that black sludgy stuff. All you want is the coffee, none of the grounds. Even the very, very small ones. You want your latte to be good to the last drop, as it were.
2) Then you fill a glass with ice cubes. I use frozen coffee cubes, because that way, the coffee doesn't get diluted; it's all coffee, all the time, like God intended.
3) When you've prepared your glass or cup, you pour in some of your coffee concentrate, followed by a few tablespoons of the syrup flavor of your choice. Personally, I use sugar free syrups; World Market has small sizes, and Speculoos (read: COOKIE BUTTER! flavor) and places like TJ Maxx have less expensive syrups. You can also google how to make simple syrup (SO EASY) and make that and keep it in the fridge. It's good for iced coffees as well as mixed drinks. Win/win!
4) Lastly, you fill up your glass with your milk of choice. Go fat free for less calories, whole milk for decadence, almond milk or coconut milk for various tastes. The world is your oyster. Let your clutch out.
Let me just say, it is worth it. They're really, really good. And cheaper (in the long run) than Starbucks.
Or you can go to the coffeeshop near you. Or just come visit me, and I'll make you one. :)