Hi!
I’m back with a coffee recipe because I PROMISED and didn’t wanna leave anyone hanging. 😉
So cold-brew coffee. It’s super popular and also happens to be my personal favorite way to consume coffee. It’s less acidic and smoother because it has never been heated. There’s tons of recipes out there for this, but what works best for me since I like mine strong and flavorful, is a 1:5 ratio. 1 cup coarsely ground coffee to 5 cups of fresh, cold water. I’ve been using a glass pot (pictured above) because it comes with a filter to hold the grounds while it steeps. There are lots of different kinds with varying prices, but I really don’t think it matters so much what kind you use. I steep this in the fridge for 2 days for maximum strength. 😀 But I’ve tried it after 24 hours and that works too, although the 24-hour version works best black over ice rather than with cream. I love drinking my cold-brew black over ice in general, actually – especially during a heat wave! It’s just so refreshing and clean-tasting.
If I’m not drinking it black, I like sweetening it with maple syrup/caramel syrup/or other sweetener, and then topping it with a sea salt crema. If you’ve never tried this, you MUST. This combination has been made popular by milk tea shops and then last year even Starbucks brought out their own version. But it’s so easy to make. Once you’ve got the crema mastered, I highly recommend using it to top a good strong sweetened iced Assam tea. Seriously, perfection.
Okay, here are my recipes. The crema can be a bit temperamental, so I’m including a few notes for clarity. I hope you enjoy!!!
Best Cold-Brew Coffee:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coarsely-ground coffee (dark roast is my fav for bold flavor)
- 5 cups purified cold drinking water
Method:
- In a pitcher, mason jar, or cold brew pitcher, add coffee grounds and water. Do not mix.
- Let steep for 24 – 48 hours.
- Remove the grounds or sift through a cheesecloth or fine sieve.
- Stir.
- Pour over ice or sweeten and top with the following:
Sea Salt Crema Topping for Iced or Cold-Brew Coffee:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1-2 TBSP creamer or milk (I love using the Picnik bullet-proof creamer)
- 1 TBSP sugar or a 1:1 sugar sub (I’ve been using a blend of erythritol)
- 1/8 to scant 1/4 tsp sea salt (I’ve been using Himalayan pink sea salt), *plus more sea salt for topping if desired.
NEEDED: a handheld milk frother, or small jar with a lid
Method:
- Put all ingredients in a cup or small jar, and if you have a handheld frother (which I highly recommend!), froth in a circular motion, skimming the top at times to encourage the frothing.
- Froth until the mixture is thick enough to cause ripples.
- *If you don’t have a frother, put the lid on tight and shake your mixture vigorously until it becomes a heavy, almost whipped consistency. It might not be a stiff as the frothed version, but is still good!
- Pour on top of sweetened coldbrew/iced coffee/strong-brewed iced tea and top with extra sea salt if desired.
NOTES:
- The contrast of sweet & salty works best in my opinion if your coffee or tea itself is on the sweeter side. Otherwise you’ll taste more salty than sweet – which in a drink (at least to my taste) is not preferable.
- The cream is meant to be a top layer to the sweet coffee/tea underneath, and the heavy cream causes it to be heavy enough to float. If you prefer it to be thinner, add the extra milk/Picnik/or even half n half. I’ve also used all Picnik since it froths so well and although lighter, is still delightful!
- Also, I LOVE the saltiness to be a bit prominent in my crema, but if you want to err on the side of caution for your first time, start with the less amount of sea salt and then if you want it saltier, just sprinkle a little extra on the top so you can control it.
Enjoy! <3
