Iced Coffee

One of my favorite splurges when I'm out and about is a granita at our local coffee shop. The granita is basically a toddy, a coffee that's been cold brewed, mixed with ice, milk/cream, and a sweetening agent. These things are ridiculously good.

Being value conscious, my husband and I talked about trying to make something similar at home. So, last year for his birthday, I bought a french press iced coffee maker. It was my favorite birthday present that wasn't actually my birthday present.

So here's what we do, put the same amount of coffee you would normally use for the number of cups you are preparing in the bottom of the pitcher. I usually stop to admire the beauty of the coffe at this point and stick my nose right down in there to get a good wiff.

It's pretty AND it smells good!

Fill the pitcher about half way with water, stir the coffee with a wooden spoon, and fill the rest of the way up with water. Pop the top on it and set it in the fridge overnight.

Water + Coffee Beans = Crazy Delicious.

In the morning, take the lid off and stir it again with a wooden spoon. Then place this compressor top thing on the pitcher and press those coffee grounds to the bottom.

Put the "compressor top thing" on the pitcher.

Since this is the french press part of the equation, feel free to say things with a French accent. Bonjour! It has no effect on the taste of the coffee, but it's fun to do in the morning before you've had a delcious cup of joe. Also, it makes my husband laugh and he is not a morning person so I consider it a victory when I get a chuckle.

Press it down. S'il vous plaît.

This is where things get going. We have a Magic Bullet, but you could easily use a blender. We fill the glass about 2/3 of the way full with the iced coffee and add a slug of half and half or cream.

The wonders of the Magic Bullet.

Then, this is where it gets intense. We had a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk. We top it off with a few ice cubes and let the bullet work its magic.

Sweetened condensed milk is amazing. Like "I want to stick my tongue in there and lick any residual milk that didn't make it out of the can" amazing.

Pour it into some glasses and enjoy. It is so delicious that we have had to limit this treat to weekends so we can continue to fit into our pants.

Good morning!