30 Before 30 Recipes: Iced Thai Coffee

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Sayonara, summer. This Labor Day weekend was a whirlwind of weather, and nothing short of typical for Ohio. One day it's 100 degrees and sunny. The next it's 65 degrees with rain and clouds. It hardly gives a blogger any time to talk about fun summer sips before the weather turns over! I recently made Iced Thai Coffee, one of the items on my recipe to-do list. I've been wanting to try either Thai or Vietnamese Iced Coffee, as both types intrigued me. The use of sweetened condensed milk or the addition of cardamom, in a delicious iced coffee beverage? Um, hello, yes.

After some Googling, I decided to use this recipe from Steamy Kitchen as my go-to. I went the Thai route technically, though I did alter it a bit to try to combine both varieties. I believe Vietnamese Iced Coffee uses the sweetened condensed milk. While I didn't use SCM, I used brown sugar instead of the typical granulated sugar to create a similar flavor. Want the recipe? YES! Of course you do! Here we go.

Iced Thai Coffee

Based off of recipe from Steamy Kitchen, altered slightly

4 cups double-strength brewed coffee (I used a French press for this)


2 cups half-and-half or cream


2 tbsp brown sugar (I used dark, like always)


3 cardamom pods (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom)

1/4 tsp cinnamon (b/c I just couldn't resist)


1/4 tsp almond extract


ice

First, crack open those cardamom pods to release the flavor and aroma within. You can use a mortar and pestle, or you can (safely, please) crack them using a chef's knife. Have you ever seen them crush a clove of garlic on Food Network using the side of the knife? (But again, PLEASE DO IT CAREFULLY!)

Then, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, brown sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, then let steep for 15-20 minutes. Remove the cardamom pods and add the almond extract.

Fill 4 tall glasses with ice, then divide the cream mixture amongst the glasses. Then top off with the super strong coffee. Grab yourself a straw, and enjoy!