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Toasted Coconut Cold-brewed Iced Coffee

June 25, 2014 · by Ari ·

Ultra smooth, nutty cold-brewed iced coffee without a hint of bitterness. Literally THE BEST iced coffee I have ever tasted.

I think it’s safe to say I have a little coffee problem. I need it, have to have it, can’t live without it, want to swim in a big pool of it and never come out. And let me just tell you, making this cold brew has amplified that by about 1,000%.

So let’s chat a little bit about iced coffee. There are a few different ways to do it. When you order an iced coffee at Starbucks, they’ve taken their regular brewed hot coffee, poured it over ice and then stuck it in the refrigerator. Don’t get me wrong, I will drink the crap out of an iced coffee from Starbucks, but it doesn’t a candle to cold brew!

Cold brew is less acidic and bitter, and more caffeinated than drip coffee. It truly is the best of every world. Also, making a big batch means absolutely no work to get your morning coffee. Pour, add water (we’ll get to why in a moment), drink. Simple as that. And with the smooth taste and lack of bitterness, it really doesn’t need a thing. I add a little half and half–yes, the real deal–but that’s it.

Okay, about that coconut. It doesn’t taste like coconut. At least, not in the way you’d expect coconut to taste. Maybe it’s just me, but I almost always eat coconut in dessert, and it is the sweetness that I associate with the flavor. Have you ever eaten plain old flaked coconut? It is completely different. This means that coconut lovers and non coconut lovers alike will love this stuff!

So why even add the coconut? The result is a slightly nutty and creamy flavor and literally the smoothest coffee I have ever tasted. Of course, if you want some extra coconut flavor, you can add coconut extract while brewing or use coconut cream as your creamer. I’m pretty sure coconut cream in this coffee would be insanely addicting. Oh, who am I kidding, this stuff already is on its own!

Alright, remember when I said you have to add water? I brewed this stuff wayyyyy stronger than my other cold brew recipes, and ya know what? I like it even better! I tasted it on without adding water, and it was way too intense even for me. This recipe makes a concentrate and you really do need to add water. I used 1/3 concentrate / 2/3 water and that’s perfect for me. Silky and smooth, but not watered down because that is the worst. I recommend using coffee with a hint of cocoa for optimal flavor, but really any coffee you like will work great! Let me just say, I’m already working on batch #2 and I made triple the amount this time. 😉

Toasted Coconut Cold-brewed Iced Coffee

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: approximately 12 cups (when combined with water)

Serving Size: 1 cup (combined with water)

Toasted Coconut Cold-brewed Iced Coffee

Ultra smooth, nutty cold-brewed iced coffee without a hint of bitterness. Literally THE BEST iced coffee I have ever tasted.

Ingredients

12 ounces ground coffee (preferably dark roast)
2 cups unsweetened toasted coconut*
8 cups filtered water

Instructions

Pour coffee and coconut into a large air tight container (at least 1.5 gallons or larger). Pour water on top and stir lightly to combine. Cover and store at room temperature for 24-36 hours.
Scoop out as much of the grounds and coconut as possible with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse strainer, then cover with a double layer of cheesecloth. Place covered strainer over a 1 gallon jug (or desired container). Use a measuring cup to pour coffee over your covered strainer to filter any remaining grounds. If your coffee begins to have trouble filtering through, change your cheesecloth out for a fresh one.
To serve, combine 1 part coffee with 2 parts water. Add any desired cream or sweetener.

Notes

*To make your own toasted coconut, just place shredded or flaked coconut on a large cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully because it can burn quickly.

https://arismenu.com/toasted-coconut-cold-brewed-iced-coffee/

And to see step by step photos of how this cold brew process works, check out my post on how to make cold brewed iced coffee!

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

October 15, 2013 · by Ari ·

Easy & smooth cold-brewed iced coffee spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cloves.

Lately I’ve been wondering if it’s time to start acting like a grown up. I can’t even tell you what that means, because I just act like, well, me. The other day someone thought I was wayyy younger than I am (this isn’t even including the almost daily basis in which I’m mistaken for a student), and although this should be a compliment (YAY!! You didn’t notice those lines decorating my forehead!), I immediately got into my head thinking “OMG do I need to start acting like I’m in my *gulp* late 20’s?”

Again, not that I could even tell you what that means. But sometimes I feel like maybe I need to stop talking like a teenager, getting upset when children beat me at games, and locking my husband out of our room so I can win at the who gets into bed first game. That’s a whole other story that I should probably be embarrassed of, but I’m not because I have the maturity of a 6 year old.

I find this whole “growing up” and “maturing” business incredibly confusing. I guess I just assumed it would happen naturally, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s something people make a conscious effort to do? You know, like washing dishes (something I find equally appalling).

But then on the other hand, I go to bed at 9 pm, I make my own coffee and I even pretend I’m fancy and call it toddy. That really is the name for cold brew, but I feel like it’s this secret coffee snob name that no one really knows about. I am totally a coffee snob, but in an all inclusive name. Feel free to join me in my snobbery and use words no one else knows. 😉

There are few DIY projects I love more than making a huge batch of toddy. It is ridiculously simple, and not a single drop ever goes to waste. It’s one less thing I have to worry about in the morning. My coffee routine is simply fill my glass with ice, pour in toddy, add some almond milk and grab a straw. Nothing to prep the night before, and I never have to worry about running out of time to feed my caffeine addiction.

Of course, sometimes I like to spice things up. One of my favorite local coffee shops offers spiced toddy this time of year (although I’ve never actually tried it there), and it always sounded so delicious. I am a huge fan of pumpkin spiced lattes, and pretty much any fall coffee drink you can imagine, so I wanted to incorporate my favorite flavors right into my cold brew.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to taste the spices over the bold flavor of the coffee, but they shine through without being over powering. You can always add more if you want a bolder spice flavor, but I like the nice hint that adds depth–it makes you wonder what’s different about this coffee, and why it tastes special.

Adding the spices doesn’t really take any extra time–just add them right into your batch while it sits. I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You could also add ground ginger, cardamom (for a chai flavor), or any other spices you want. If you want to see detailed instructions with step-by-step photos on how to make your iced coffee, check out this post!

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Simple & easy cold brewed iced coffee seasoned with warm, comforting fall spices.

Ingredients

1 lb good quality bold coffee, coarsely ground
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
2 gallons water

Instructions

Pour ground coffee into a 2.5 gallon airtight container. Add spices. Top with 2 gallons filtered water. Pat down the top to ensure all coffee is incorporated. Cover and store for 24-48 hours (the longer it brews, the stronger it will be).
Scoop out as much of the grounds as possible with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse strainer, then cover with a double layer of cheesecloth. Place covered strainer over a 1 gallon jug Use a measuring cup to pour coffee over your covered strainer to filter any remaining grounds. Repeat until jug is mostly full, then repeat with a second 1 gallon jug. If your coffee begins to have trouble filtering through, change your cheesecloth out for a fresh one.
To serve, fill glass with ice and add 1-2 inches of water. Add coffee, and any desired cream or sweetener.

https://arismenu.com/autumn-spiced-toddy-cold-brewed-iced-coffee/

My Gluten-free Baking Blend

October 13, 2013 · by Ari ·

A simple & easy gluten-free flour blend perfect for cookies, cupcakes, quickbreads, and more! Looking for more gluten-free recipes? Check these out!

Almost 6 months ago, my husband discovered he was gluten intolerant. He (obviously) cut out gluten completely, and as a result, I now eat about 90% gluten-free as well. I had toyed with gluten-free baking a little bit, but mostly using just almond meal or oats. I tried many gluten-free flours, and even when I enjoyed the end result, you could always tell they were gluten-free. The texture was never quite right. Sometimes they’d be gummy, or other times too crumbly–it is definitely a challenge, and it’s taken quite a bit of time, resources, and trial & error to get to a place where I feel like I’ve started to figure it out.

I’ve been making vegan desserts for quite some time–something that is so easy in my opinion. I already use butter alternatives, and cornstarch replaces an egg seamlessly in most cases (I’m not vegan, I just like to bake things that work for many different diets). Gluten-free on the other hand? I feel like it’s a constant learning process.

However, after trying a lot of different combinations, I truly feel like I’ve found my winner–my go-to flour blend that I will use 90% of the time. Of course, I will still try new things and learn lots of new tricks as I go, but after a series of successful baked goods (teenager approved and all!), I finally feel ready to share my blend with you guys. In fact, tonight I told Steve I may even like this better than wheat flour. The texture is ultra-soft, and perfect for baked goods.

A couple things to note: While I have used this blend to replace wheat flour in many different recipes, sometimes (especially in cookies) you may need to some extra flour. I often add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup compared to what a recipe calls for in cookies. My suggestion is to start off following the recipe, then add extra as needed. I usually start by adding 1/4 cup if the mixture is overly sticky and unworkable. Be careful though–too much flour leads to dry and cakey baked goods.

My favorite part of this blend? No weird ingredients. No xanthan gum, nothing too obscure, and no need to add any extra ingredients when baking. And it’s a whole grain mix! You better believe I’m not about to start baking with refined grains just because it’s gluten-free. 😉 The method is simple–it’s a 3:3:2 measurement of brown rice flour, gluten-free oat flour (you can buy this at the store, or easily make your own with gluten-free oats in a food processor), and almond meal (you can also buy this, or make your own). You can simply mix these flours together for a recipe, or you can make a larger batch so that the measurements are already taken care of.

Making the blend ahead of time in a larger batch is a great time saver. You could also make a batch as a gift for a friend who maintains a gluten-free diet. If they haven’t found a lot of products they like yet, they will seriously love you for helping them enjoy the delicious treats they’ve been missing. This blend literally tastes no different than any regular flour, and is great for everyone no matter if you follow a gluten-free diet or not.

My Gluten-free Baking Blend

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 8 cups

My Gluten-free Baking Blend

A perfectly soft whole grain gluten-free baking mix perfect for cookies, cakes, quick breads, and more.

Ingredients

3 cups brown rice flour
3 cups gluten-free oat flour*
2 cups almond meal*

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

*Oat flour and almond meal can each be made by pulsing oats or almond in food processor until a fine flour forms. Be careful with almonds not to over-pulse or you will end up with almond butter.

*This mix can replace all-purpose flour in most recipes. You may need to add a little bit extra (especially in cookies).

*Recipe inspired by Edible Perspective

https://arismenu.com/gluten-free-baking-blend/

How To: Toddy {Cold Brewed Iced Coffee}

June 3, 2013 · by Ari ·

Have we ever discussed my coffee habit? It’s pretty embarrassing the amount of money I have spent on going out to coffee in my life. I just never got into the habit of making my own in the morning, but I did fall very easily into the habit of going to Dutch Bros TWICE a day. Somehow my bank account and I cannot seem to agree on this habit. Shocking, right?

Anyway, I don’t remember exactly when it was that I discovered toddy–probably a little over a year ago. Toddy is basically the best, smoothest, and most caffeinated way to drink coffee. Pretty much, it wins in every coffee contest ever.

And did I mention it is ridiculously easy to make? It does take just over 24 start to finish, but really most of that time you are sleeping, baking, and eating fro yo. Or…at least that’s what I was doing… 😉

This is literally the best coffee I have ever tasted. Better than any coffee shop, better than any latte. It comes out so smooth with next to no bitterness, and full of bold flavor. It doesn’t need a whole lot–a little sweetener and some almond milk will do ya, but if you like sweeter, creamier coffee, it’s your cup o’ jo! You can make it however you want. Add chocolate syrup and make an iced mocha, blend it up into a homemade frappe, or put some in your brownies!

Okay, let’s get started. The first thing you need is a 2.5 gallon airtight container (or 1.75 for a half batch), and 1 lb of coarsely ground coffee. I like a strong, bold coffee, but use whatever you like. Pour that coffee right into your container.

Then top it with 2 gallons of purified water. If you want, you can also stick a vanilla bean in there to add some flavor. I do sometimes, and I love it!

Give it a little pat down at the top to make sure all of the coffee is incorporated into the water, and not just floating at the top. I don’t mess around with the possibility of losing coffee flavor!

Cover and store for 24 (or up to 36) hours. You can let this happen in the fridge, or at room temperature. It is completely up to you. I usually don’t have room in the fridge, so I stick to room temperature. Once your 24-36 are up, take a fine mesh strainer to scoop out as much of the coffee grounds as possible.

Rinse our your strainer, then set it on top of a 1 gallon jug–you will need two of these because you end up with about 1.75 gallons of coffee when all is said and done. Top the strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth. Use a measuring cup to pour coffee over the strainer. You may just pour from your container if you wish, but that sounds like a coffee disaster for an accident prone gal like yours truly. You might be better at that sort of thing than me, however…

Once you’ve filtered all of the coffee, you are DONE! Store your coffee jugs in the fridge. It is important to note, this recipe creates a coffee CONCENTRATE. When you make your coffee, add an inch or 2 of water to your cup to dilute it a bit. Trust me, I love strong coffee as much as anyway, but it does need to be diluted a bit. Do some trial and error to figure out the best balance for you. Serve it over ice with whatever cream and sweetener you like.

I have officially kicked my coffee shop habit to the curb (with the exception of going with friends on occasion–just like eating out is fun occasionally!) with this stuff. I am in love, obsessed, over the moon for it. It’s super easy, full proof, and super budget friendly. It’s about a $30 investment for all the storage initially, but that’s a one time deal, and then you’re set! Not to mention, there is nothing to brew in the morning! I wake up, poor myself a glass, and go about my breakfasting/blog reading. You will love it!

Toddy {Cold Brewed Iced Coffee}

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 cups (approx 1.75 gallons)

Serving Size: 1 cup

Toddy {Cold Brewed Iced Coffee}

Ingredients

1 lb good quality bold coffee, coarsely ground
2 gallons water

Instructions

Pour ground coffee into a 2.5 gallon airtight container. Top with 2 gallons filtered water. Pat down the top to ensure all coffee is incorporated. Cover and store for 24-36 hours.
Scoop out as much of the grounds as possible with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse strainer, then cover with a double layer of cheesecloth. Place covered strainer over a 1 gallon jug Use a measuring cup to pour coffee over your covered strainer to filter any remaining grounds. Repeat until jug is mostly full, then repeat with a second 1 gallon jug. If your coffee begins to have trouble filtering through, change your cheesecloth out for a fresh one.
To serve, fill glass with ice and add 1-2 inches of water. Add coffee, and any desired cream or sweetener.

https://arismenu.com/how-to-toddy-cold-brewed-iced-coffee/