There is no mistaking it. It IS summertime on the island. The humidity has shown up, and the trade winds are working overtime to keep things one notch above comfortable. This is a great time to dust off this cold brew iced coffee recipe. Making coffee this way means there is nothing to heat up in an already warmed up Crucian kitchen. 

Sweet, flavorful, spiced up, and versatile are just a few words that describe this recipe. A true coffee lover’s confection with it’s mellow flavor. There is no bitterness as there is in the normal hot brewing process. On island, my hubby and I use whole beans roasted locally by a guy named “Don Tomas” (Dontomascoffee@mac.com). His beans are  roasted to deep dark coffee perfection–ideal for an iced coffee!

If the flavor of this drink doesn’t capture you, there is a moment when making this coffee that you get to step back and take in the image of the cold white heavy cream wandering through the midnight canvass of the jet black coffee. For just a second there is a beautiful marbling before the separateness of the very black coffee and very pale cream becomes a beautiful mocha beige. Yes, feel free to savor that “Look What I Did” feeling! The kitchen offers the curious breathtaking moments like that! Sigh…

 

This “recipe” is more guide than anything else. I find coffee and eggs to be deeply personal foods. Everyone has their own way of making and enjoying it. Some love dark and strong coffee, some like it roasted lightly and a bit weaker.  Use the coffee of your choice and the strength of your choice.  This version is meant to make about 8 relatively strong cups that can be refrigerated and enjoyed through the week. The strength of the coffee is necessary given the high amount of milk and ice. You want that coffee flavor to stand up to the other bold and delicious spiced up ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 Cups of fresh ground coffee of your choice

8 cups of room temperature water

Vanilla Extract

Almond Extract

Nutmeg

Sweetened Condensed Milk (To Taste)

Heavy Cream or Milk

Directions:

In a glass container pour in the water and  ground coffee and about 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature.

In the morning, strain the coffee. You may use cheesecloth and a fine strainer, or a drip coffee maker as seen in the photo above.

Place the coffee in the refrigerator to completely  cool.

Later, fill your favorite mug halfway with coffee and ice, then add a splash of heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk to taste.

Add about a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract and stir vigorously.

Yes, sometimes it is that easy.

Enjoy!