Fresh Mint Iced Coffee

Coffee is the working woman’s morning staple, and we don’t know how we’d survive without it. Make a cool upgrade to your basic coffee with our delicious Fresh Mint Iced Coffee recipe. Invigorating and super-fresh, you’ll start your mornings off more motivated than ever.

INGREDIENTS:

-½ cup freshly ground coffee

-3 cups cold water

-1 cup sugar

-1 big bunch of fresh mint leaves (around ¾ cup)

-1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

-Coffee ice cubes (or plain ones)

-3 Tbsp milk, cream or sweetened condensed milk

-Additional fresh mint leaves, for garnish

HOW-TO:

1. To make the cold brew coffee concentrate, combine the ground coffee and 2 cups water in a jar. Stir well. Let sit at room temperature overnight (or at least 8 hours).
2. To make coffee ice cubes, make a cup or two of coffee and allow it to cool slightly. If you desire, stir in some milk (anything from cream to almond or coconut milk). Then pour mixture into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.
3. To make the mint simple syrup, add 1 cup water, sugar, mint leaves, and vanilla beans (including the empty pod) to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Let bubble for a minute, then remove from the heat and let cool completely. Put mint syrup in a bowl or jar, let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
4. In the morning before using, strain out the mint leaves and vanilla pod. (Refrigerate to save—will last for a week.)
5. Use a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain your coffee concentrate, removing all the grinds. Store the cold coffee in a sealed jar in the fridge.
6. Add coffee ice cubes and regular ice cubes (amount as desired) to a glass and pour about 2½ Tbsp mint syrup in. Then, add 8 oz coffee concentrate and stir in cream (or milk), as desired. Top off with some fresh mint leaves, and enjoy!