I do not always have the best luck in the kitchen. I can make the basics: pasta, french toast, cookies, etc. But when it comes to things a little more complicated, I tend to struggle.
Just two years ago, I had a total meltdown over a homemade strawberry cake that somehow FELL APART in the oven after I had spent an hour or two preparing and mixing the ingredients. I was completely mortified that at seventeen years old I could not handle following a list of instructions correctly. And we won't even mention the burnt chocolaty mess that became of half a batch of Oreo truffles the year after...
Fortunately, I have recently had a little more success with new recipes. In fact, I have even begun experimenting a bit! With my recently formed addiction to coffee still lingering (thanks a lot, college,) I continue to have a few cups a week. While I love hot coffee, I never sit down long enough to finish an entire cup, and if I leave it and come back to it a little later, it's already gross and cold.
Solution? Iced coffee.
Until this summer, I had rarely been able to make a decent cup of iced coffee at home, throwing all my money at coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin'. But now... I know how, and here are a few of my favorite iced coffee drinks I'll be sipping on for the rest of the summer.
1. Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is so simple, and I have no idea why it took me so long to figure it out. Just brew a cup of coffee (I use my Keuring,) and mix a tablespoon of sugar in while it is still hot. From here, let it cool for a bit, then add a couple handfuls of ice and your preferred amount of half-n-half.
Another way to make this recipe is to just brew the coffee, let it cool, add ice, and then add creamer. I wouldn't recommend using both creamer and sugar unless you are prepared for a massive sugar crash.
2. Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino
I personally don't consider this "real" coffee because it's basically chocolate milk, but I think it still deserves a spot on this list. The recipe I use is straight from an online blogger who seems to make this stuff by the barrel. She recommends 2 cups of chilled coffee, 5 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the syrup of your choice (I use chocolate because who doesn't love coffee-flavored chocolate milk?) Just mix together all these ingredients and chill to your liking. I'll typically let it cool the night before and then put it in the fridge before bed to have the next morning.
3. Iced Caramel Macchiato
GiphyThis is one of the sweeter drinks at Starbucks in my opinion, but it's super simple to make at home. Fill half of your cup with ice, then drizzle on your preferred amount of caramel syrup (I go around the rim twice, but my roommate thinks any less than ten times is just not enough.) After that, fill half the cup with the milk of your choice, and fill the rest of the cup with strongly brewed coffee. You are technically supposed to use espresso, but I can't think of one college kid who owns an espresso machine, myself included (that much caffeine would keep me awake for an entire year,) so I altered the recipe to work with regular coffee.
4. Iced Chai Tea Latte
Iced TeaFrom what I have seen, this is the up-and-coming drink of the summer. It is the Noah Centineo of the Starbucks menu, and it is so easy to make at home! This drink actually has the potential to get me out of my coffee phase once and for all. You just fill a little over half of your cup with brewed chai tea (I just use a chai tea bag made by Twinings,) mix in a tablespoon of sugar, throw in some ice, and fill the rest of the cup up with the milk of your choice.
5. Dunkin' Iced Coffee
GiphyWhat? Was iced coffee not already on the list? Yes. Yes, it was. This is not just iced coffee, though. This is DUNKIN' iced coffee. The recipe at the beginning of the article was pretty simple and left a lot of room for adjustments. This is a whole different ball game. Dunkin' iced coffee has one prominent flavor: sugar. I try not to drink this often, but when I really need to stay up for a few more hours or have a pick-me-up halfway through the day, this is what I turn to.
Start by filling your cup up 3/4 of the way with ice. Then fill 3/4 of the cup with coffee already mixed with 2 tablespoons of sugar. It helps the sugar dissolve if the coffee is still warm when mixed. Lastly, fill the rest of the cup up with half-n-half and you're ready to go! I can already taste this drink just from writing about it!
