A Quick Caffeine Fix - Iced Coffee

I'm running a bit behind at the moment so apologies in advance. When I started the blog back up I promised myself that I would try and post at least every other week. And I've failed. I have recipes - a few that I've teased you with on Instagram - but I just haven't had the chance to write them up as everything takes longer with a baby under one and we are in the process of moving, and moving from an apartment which is furnished to an unfurnished place so it feels like recently every free moment I've had has been spent apartment hunting, researching the price of laminate flooring and wandering round IKEA watching the Euros disappear out of our savings as we total up what we have to buy. The irony of all this is we sold or gave away all the same furniture before we moved and now we are buying it all again!

All this means I have been pretty tired and very much in need of a caffeine fix but it's SCORCHIO here and I have never been part of the hot drinks in summer cool you down group. Sorry when it's hot and I am sweating my boobies off a hot drink just makes me melt faster! Starbucks and all the other available coffee shops make a fortune round this time by making fancy frappacinos but unless you are out and near one of these institutions and have taken out a second mortgage just to fund your coffee habit you need a more affordable alternative. I give you my iced coffee recipe.

This is a recipe which is super simple but you can sex it up as much as you like when you make it at home. If you like your iced coffee with a bit of chocolate add some cocoa or hot chocolate powder to the mix or if you want a syrup in there throw it in and of course, if you have some, pile it high with some squirty cream to make it super indulgent!

I use semi skimmed milk mainly so I don't feel so bad when I go back for a second glass. You can definitely use whole milk and I have been known make up some of the milk with cream if we happen to have some in the fridge but please don't use skimmed milk you may as well use chalky water.
This recipe also requires condensed milk. That delicious, thick, sweet substance in a can that is almost hard to believe it started out life as milk. I was inspired to use this by the Vietnamese Iced Coffee ca phe su da. In fact the whole recipe is really inspired by this drink the difference being that to make a Vietnamese Iced coffee requires a filter coffee and uses just the condensed milk which you place in the cup first and the filter coffee drips over it and then you pour the whole thing over ice where here I am using instant espresso coffee and adding milk. When you choose your espresso powder do go for a good one it makes all the difference. You could use instant granules but in my experience it's never been quite as good.

For all my vegan pals you can substitute the semi skimmed milk for any plant based milk of your choice. It would be delicious if made with a hazelnut milk!! You can also find condensed coconut milk to substitute for the conventional condensed milk or simply use agave nectar.

Iced Coffee
Makes around 7 portions

Ingredients

9 tsp Instant Espresso Powder
200m Boiling Water
200g Condensed Milk
1.5l Semi Skimmed Milk

• Place the coffee into a large jug and pour over the boiling water. Allow to cool.
• Add the condensed milk and milk and whisk until well combined.
• Store in the fridge until ready to serve
• TO SERVE - Put some ice in a glass and pour over the iced coffee.

It really is that simple and it is so easy to tweak to your own taste by the addition of more coffee or condensed milk or milk. I do recommend working on the general rule of thumb of around an extra half teaspoon of coffee powder per portion though to really get the flavour of the coffee coming through as it can get quite diluted depending how much ice you use.

Novelty ice cubes are encouraged!!

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