This post has been a long time coming! If you know me well, it's no secret that I LOVE coffee. Seriously. Love. I don't think I would have gotten through the first few years of my children's lives without it. If they could find a way to pump it directly into my veins I would be the first person in line to try it out. However, spending $7 on a coffee was just not ok with me anymore. So I decided to come up with a coffee recipe of my own and thumb my nose at coffee houses forever! Ok. Maybe not forever but definitely only for special occasions ;)
Cold Brewed Coffee:
4 cups filtered water (filtered water makes the best, least bitter, flavor)
1/2 cup ground coffee
A large bowl
Cheesecloth or Coffee filters (non-bleached is preferred but use whatever you have)
Time
Stir the water and coffee grounds together in a large bowl and let it sit 8-12 hours or overnight. The longer the grounds sit in the water, the stronger the taste. In the morning (or after the 8-12 hours) strain the coffee grounds through your cheesecloth or coffee filters into another container. And that's it! Add milk and syrup of your choice and enjoy!
Now on to the syrups (which is really the best part, right?). I have a bunch of different recipes that I'm still working on but today I'll just add 4. These recipes have been tested by my lovely friends and have been unanimously deemed delicious.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup:
1 Cinnamon Stick (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 cups water
1 1/2 brown sugar
Bring water, cinnamon stick, and pumpkin pie spice to a boil. Simmer on medium low for 10 mins. Remove cinnamon stick (if using) and add brown sugar. Stir until sugar has fully dissolved. Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temp. Pour syrup into a container with a tight seal.
Vanilla Syrup:
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup white sugar
Bring the water and vanilla bean to a boil. Simmer on medium low for 10 mins. Remove the vanilla bean and add sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temp. Pour into a container with a tight seal.
Cookie Dough: (yeah you read that right. Cookie Dough!)
2 cups water
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter flavoring (optional but it really gives it that cookie flavor!)
Pinch of sea salt
Bring water to a boil. Add sugars and stir until dissolved. Add vanilla extract, butter flavor, and sea salt and stir to combine. Let syrup cool to room temp. Pour into a container with a tight seal
Chocolate Syrup: (original recipe found HERE)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract*
1/8 tsp sea salt
Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a sauce pan until there aren't any cocoa clumps left. Add water and bring to a boil until everything is dissolved, stirring constantly (very important or the mixture could boil over or burn). Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Let syrup cool to room temp. Pour into a container with a tight seal.
*If you want to switch up the flavors of this recipe, add about 1/2 tsp coconut flavor and 1/2 tsp almond extract (in place of the vanilla) for a mounds bar type flavor. You could also add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne (just mix it with the sugar and cocoa in the first step of the recipe) for a mexican hot chocolate flavor. You could add mint extract or just coconut extract or just almond extract. The flavor combinations are endless with this recipe!
I'm working on a gingerbread syrup, white chocolate syrup (that I will then turn into a white chocolate peppermint syrup), and caramel brulee syrup. I'm also working on turning these syrups into sugar free syrups using stevia and coconut sugar. As soon as these recipes have been perfected I'll post them :) Enjoy your coffee, everyone!
Cold Brewed Coffee:
4 cups filtered water (filtered water makes the best, least bitter, flavor)
1/2 cup ground coffee
A large bowl
Cheesecloth or Coffee filters (non-bleached is preferred but use whatever you have)
Time
Stir the water and coffee grounds together in a large bowl and let it sit 8-12 hours or overnight. The longer the grounds sit in the water, the stronger the taste. In the morning (or after the 8-12 hours) strain the coffee grounds through your cheesecloth or coffee filters into another container. And that's it! Add milk and syrup of your choice and enjoy!
Now on to the syrups (which is really the best part, right?). I have a bunch of different recipes that I'm still working on but today I'll just add 4. These recipes have been tested by my lovely friends and have been unanimously deemed delicious.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup:
1 Cinnamon Stick (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 cups water
1 1/2 brown sugar
Bring water, cinnamon stick, and pumpkin pie spice to a boil. Simmer on medium low for 10 mins. Remove cinnamon stick (if using) and add brown sugar. Stir until sugar has fully dissolved. Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temp. Pour syrup into a container with a tight seal.
Vanilla Syrup:
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup white sugar
Bring the water and vanilla bean to a boil. Simmer on medium low for 10 mins. Remove the vanilla bean and add sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temp. Pour into a container with a tight seal.
Cookie Dough: (yeah you read that right. Cookie Dough!)
2 cups water
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter flavoring (optional but it really gives it that cookie flavor!)
Pinch of sea salt
Bring water to a boil. Add sugars and stir until dissolved. Add vanilla extract, butter flavor, and sea salt and stir to combine. Let syrup cool to room temp. Pour into a container with a tight seal
Chocolate Syrup: (original recipe found HERE)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract*
1/8 tsp sea salt
Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a sauce pan until there aren't any cocoa clumps left. Add water and bring to a boil until everything is dissolved, stirring constantly (very important or the mixture could boil over or burn). Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Let syrup cool to room temp. Pour into a container with a tight seal.
*If you want to switch up the flavors of this recipe, add about 1/2 tsp coconut flavor and 1/2 tsp almond extract (in place of the vanilla) for a mounds bar type flavor. You could also add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp cayenne (just mix it with the sugar and cocoa in the first step of the recipe) for a mexican hot chocolate flavor. You could add mint extract or just coconut extract or just almond extract. The flavor combinations are endless with this recipe!
I'm working on a gingerbread syrup, white chocolate syrup (that I will then turn into a white chocolate peppermint syrup), and caramel brulee syrup. I'm also working on turning these syrups into sugar free syrups using stevia and coconut sugar. As soon as these recipes have been perfected I'll post them :) Enjoy your coffee, everyone!