Instant-Gratification Hazelnut Iced Coffee

I did something very rare today - I skipped my morning coffee altogether to get to an early appointment. By 12:30, I was craving a little caffeine, so another rare occurrence... I went through a Tim Horton's drive-thru and picked up lunch for hubby and I. Two jalapeno-cream-cheese bagels and two large iced capps (with milk) later, I was still longing for a real coffee... but the weather was just too warm for a hot brew. So I jumped on Pinterest in search of some iced coffees... and most involved coffee ice cubes. Since I wanted the coffee now (and not tomorrow) I got to work on my own "quick and dirty" iced coffee recipe.

Side note: I began drinking coffee during a high school trip to Europe when I was sixteen. When I returned home and requested a coffee, my mom had not issue with it, but when I reached for the sugar, I got the look.

"If you're going to drink coffee in this house, you learn to drink it without sugar, or not at all."

Tough? Yes - my mom had a reputation. She was also in the fitness industry, so it was her business to be healthy and in shape, so ours was a "healthy eating" household. In hindsight, I'm glad that she nipped sugar drink dependency in the bud, because I've not craved them since. Don't get me wrong - I supremely enjoy a Mocha Frapp from the biggest coffee house around - but I enjoy them as a "dessert-like" treat, not an everyday routine.

On to the coffee!

Instant-Gratification Hazelnut Iced Coffee (without Instant coffee)... 

1. Brew 12 cups of strong coffee (I used 14 heaping scoops of grinds, plus 1 tsp cinnamon on top of the grinds for flavor) or 4 cups if you don't want leftovers (see step #7)
2. In 2 mason jars, pour approx. 1/4 cup milk (I used 3% which I had leftover from a dessert recipe) 
3. While coffee is brewing, heat the milk in the mason jar (I microwaved on HI for 30 seconds). It may seem counter-intuitive to heat the milk for iced coffee, but without the heat, the milk won't froth well.
4. Once heated, froth the milk for 30 seconds.  

   

   Milk on the right has been warmed and frothed - it's worth the extra two steps!
   

   
   

5. Once milk is frothy and coffee is brewed, add one shot of hazelnut liqueur (I used Frangelico, something like Bailey's would also work well) 

   

   Frothy milk, a touch of liqueur, this coffee is going places!
   

   
   

6. Add as much ice as you'd like (I filled half the jar) and slowly pour the hot coffee over top. Add a straw and enjoy!!
7. With the leftover coffee, make those coffee ice cubes for next time!

The final product: hazelnut iced coffee perfect for a hot summer's day
(without busting the calorie bank!)

The result is a coffee that's cool, not-too-sweet and not-too-creamy or heavy for a hot afternoon.

Cheers!

-Stephanie 

P.S. A good friend of mine road-tested several milk frothers before settling on one, and I bought it for myself with her recommendation (she's an Italian who is pretty serious about her coffee...) I find it quicker to use than the whisk-type. It's called a Smart Cafe, and my Canadian friends - I bought it at Linen Chest (of all places...)