Entertaining Ideas: Cool Off with Coffee!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cool Off with Coffee!

Hello. My name is Kate and I am addicted to coffee. Truly, I crave the stuff constantly. Even when it's a thousand degrees outside I just have to have it. Good thing for me there are plenty of hot weather alternatives to my hot cup of coffee. Thank you recipe inventors for enabling my addiction:) My summer staple is iced coffee which I have finally figured out how to make at home. Not only do I save money but I also get to stay out of the heat all-together! Here's how it's done..

photos by kates

Brew two shots of espresso or really strong coffee
While the coffee brews, add as much half & half to a glass as you would like
Stir in some sugar or your favorite sweetener
I like my coffee plain but you can always add some flavored syrup to change it up
Fill the glass with ice
Slowly pour the hot coffee over the ice (some of the ice melts but that's what you want! It will take the edge off of the espresso)
Add more ice if you want to cool it off even more

This simple little concoction works just perfectly for me but of course Martha Stewart knows the proper way to make iced coffee. I picked up the special magazine publication called Everyday Food the other day and there it was...

Cold-Brewed Coffee

Steep a pound of coarsely ground coffee in 9 cups cool water at room temperature for 12 hours. Pour through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve. Refrigerate the concentrated brew for up to 2 weeks on a covered glass container. To serve, mix with equal parts water and add ice and milk if desired.

While this does require some planning ahead it is the perfect solution for a dinner party! Serve it as part of a dessert bar where you can make your own iced coffee. Place milk and cream along with a variety of sweeteners and flavored syrups on a table and let people serve themselves.

Here are a few other ways to chill out with coffee

Iced Mexican Coffee