Hazelnut Iced Coffee

     ** Note, after making this iced coffee again, I realized I gave the wrong amount of sugar— reduce the starting amount to 1/4 of a cup and taste it before you add more!! I hope no one ruined their iced coffee!!

There are few things better on a hot summer day than something cold and refreshing— what better way to celebrate summer than with a tall (and by tall, I do not mean the smallest size at the local coffee chain) glass of Iced Coffee?

Iced Coffee jogs several good memories for me:

1. My first interaction with the wonderful stuff was at age 12. Wanting desperately to be older than I was, I begged my mom to let me drink coffee. She, knowing me better than myself, made me a small glass of sweet, creamy, vanilla-colored iced coffee. We sat with our glasses at our sunny kitchen table and talked about something very grown-up… I was very sophisticated. I think I probably took three small sips and decided I like pink lemonade better– but it still made for a great memory!

2. Fast forward about 10 years to college in North Carolina… I lived with two amazing roommates who also happened to be friends. One of them (you know who you are, C.L.!!!) began making this a-MAZ-ing iced coffee for us all throughout the warmer months and E and I were officially hooked. There weren’t many days that these girls couldn’t be found sitting in their 8 o’clock class trying to stave off lethargy with iced coffee and brown sugar pop tarts!

To this day, a good iced coffee brings back very fond memories of friendship and laughter…

Though I’ve never really had a good recipe for it, the amazing Courtney recently helped me get re-acquainted with the yummy beverage and I would like to pass on the recipe to you!

Good Iced Coffee should be sweet, creamy and very cold! I cannot stand to go somewhere that claims to have “Iced Coffee” and they pour hot or lukewarm java over ice and then expect me to add my own sugar to the tepid mixture and make it the right consistency. (Note: I’m not really that High Maintenance… it’s just sounds that way.) Haha!

Iced Hazelnut Coffee

• One large 8-cup pot of strong brewed Hazelnut coffee (or any flavor you like– check out the Fresh Market for some excellent flavors!– My current favorite is Decaf Hazelnut– )

• Sugar (to taste… start with about a quarter of a cup for 8-cup pot)

• Milk (I like to use a bit of half and half to make it slightly rich and then the rest 2% Milk)

Pour the coffee in a large pitcher, add sugar and stir. Add Milk until it’s the desired color you like. Taste for sweetness, add more sugar if needed. Stir again until sugar is disolved and then place in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Serve over lots of ice in a pretty glass! 

Keep in mind, whenever you have a partial pot of coffee left over in the morning, don’t throw it out!!! You can do this and have a delicious treat the next morning instead of having to talk yourself out of swinging by Starbucks!!! This is WAY more cost effective and you can drink it in your P.J.’s!!!