It’s 5 am and the thermometer in my living room says 80 degrees. I am conducting my morning coffee hour and the coffee is hot. That’s right, hot. It’s how I like it—at least in the morning regardless of the season. Now I know I am probably in the minority when it comes to hot coffee on a hot day—to each his or her own, but I do occasionally imbibe iced coffee. When I do, I would rather it be a latte. According to Wikipedia, “A latte (also referred to as a caffè latte, and sometimes erroneously spelled “latté”) is a type of coffee drink made with hot milk.” It tends to be smooth and milky—milky being the operative word for me at least.

A few weeks ago, while shopping in the mall (another favorite pastime of mine) I decided to pick up an iced latte at Dunkin Donuts. Glad I did because it really was delicious. To me, a latte stands up to ice so much better than a regular coffee and with all the flavor choices like Iced Caramel Swirl or Iced Mocha Swirl you can’t go wrong. Now add whipped cream and the caramel or mocha drizzle--oh my, think I’ll be picking up one of these today!

Now, if you would like to try your hand at making iced lattes or iced coffee in general at home and doing it well, let me give you a few tips. A latte is typically 1 part espresso and two parts steamed milk. Espresso is generally made with an espresso machine because the process is somewhat akin to a science experiment requiring the just right amount of pressure and temperature. If you would like to learn more about making espresso, just follow the link below for “The Home Barista's Guide to Espresso”.

You can also make great iced coffee just by starting with a small amount of strongly brewed coffee and adding two parts milk (I use evaporated milk). Sweeten as you like it, add ice and voila-there you have it. Try different variations like a dash of cinnamon and some of the great syrups, like the Monin Brand.

Another way to make excellent as well as easy iced coffee without any fuss is to use Cool Brew, a coffee concentrate made through the cold-brewed process, comes in delicious flavors and you won’t have to worry about cooling down hot coffee.

Try this recipe on for size:

Double Coffee Smoothie

1 ounce of Cool Brew any flavor (or substitute your own coffee concoction)
1 scoop of Häagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream
Ice cubes

Drop all ingredients into the blender. Use milk if more liquid is needed. Pour into a frosty glass and add a straw. Kick your feet up and enjoy!

The Home Barista's Guide to Espresso
http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide.html