Tag Archives: Epicurious

Toasted Coconut Cold-Brew Iced Coffee

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ready to drink 3Remember the movie Field of Dreams? Kevin Costner, hears a voice telling him “If you build it, he will come.”  I love this philosophy. Some may call it wishful thinking, but I think it’s more powerful than that. I am putting a bathtub into our new condo, in the belief that if I do, one day I will have grandchildren to bathe in it.

And, I truly believe that if I make this Toasted Coconut Cold-Brew Coffee, summer will finally arrive. Full disclosure, as I was shooting this post on Sunday, snowflakes were falling outside my window. But let’s remain positive, shall we?

So, cold brew coffee. What’s all the buzz about? It’s not the same thing as iced coffee. Iced coffee is made by brewing strong coffee, chilling it and then pouring it over ice. Cold brew is prepared by saturating coarsely ground beans with cold water and then letting it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Then it is strained and served over ice.

Cold brew is much lower in acid than traditional iced coffee. It has a natural sweetness and smooth finish. If you are curious to understand the chemistry behind this culinary alchemy, check out the post I wrote last summer.ready to pourBut now, onto the toasted coconut part. My daughter alerted me to the fact that Starbucks recently introduced Toasted Coconut Cold Brew to their summer lineup. While their Unicorn Frappuccino or Pumpkin Spice Latte hold zero appeal for me, this introduction has my name written all over it. My love of all things coconut is no secret to regular readers of this blog. This is my 21st coconut post!

Kat Boytsova, recipe tester over at Epicurious figured out how to make this at home. To make the toasted coconut flavouring syrup, simmer toasted coconut, water, honey and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let it steep for a while. Strain the coconut and you have toasted coconut syrup.

I used coconut sugar instead of regular white sugar. While I am under no illusion that coconut sugar is healthier for you than regular sugar, I do enjoy the nutty taste and faint coffee aroma it imparts.pouring coffee 2Pour the cold brew over ice, add a splash of coconut syrup and finish with some coconut milk.

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Click here to print recipe for Toasted Coconut Cold Brew Iced Coffee.

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Coconut Corn Soup

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3-bowlsGetting dressed in September is tricky business. I’m longing to pull on my over-the-knee suede boots and let the sweater layering begin, but it’s still too warm to fully embrace fall. Transitioning from summer to fall requires a skilled hand in the kitchen as well as the closet.

This month, the markets are still full of fresh corn, but I’m craving something a little heartier than corn on the cob or corn salad. This soup perfectly bridges the gap between summer and fall. The recipe for this soup comes from epicurious.com. Food editor Anna Stockwell intended this to be a pureed chilled soup for the dog days of summer. I decided to transition her recipe to fall by serving it hot. I added a large diced jalapeño to give the soup a little moxie and only pureed half the soup so that it was still chunky.sauteeing-onions-and-spicesGrated ginger adds a welcome zing and turmeric makes the soup a very vibrant yellow. Save the corn cobs and add them to the simmering soup. They really bump up the corn flavour. Coconut milk makes a splendid replacement for  chicken stock in this soup. adding-cobsAvocado, lime and toasted coconut flakes are beautiful and delicious garnishes. I can’t think of a lovelier way to ease into fall.pot-of-soup

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Click here to print recipe for coconut-corn-soup.

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