Creamy Iced Coffee

This is the homemade answer to a coffee shop frappuccino, and it doesn’t need anything more than a blender and yesterday’s leftover coffee. Double-strength chilled coffee is the secret. Regular brew gets watered down the second the ice hits, but doubling up on the grounds means the coffee flavor still punches through after the dilution. Powdered sugar dissolves instantly in cold liquid, where granulated sugar would just sit at the bottom of the glass. Three cups of chopped ice is what gives the drink its slushy, milkshake texture when blended hard. The result is a thick, frothy, creamy-looking drink with no actual cream needed; the air whipped into the ice does the work. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel or chocolate syrup if you want the full coffee-shop look at a fraction of the price.

Pro Tips

• Brew the coffee strong and chill it overnight. Hot coffee melts the ice immediately and gives you a watery drink.
• Chop the ice cubes briefly with a mallet or pulse them in the blender first. Whole cubes can shred a low-power blender’s blades.
• Run the blender for at least 30 seconds. The longer it runs, the frothier and creamier the texture.
• Adjust the powdered sugar to taste. Some coffee blends are more bitter than others.
• Use a fresh or freezer-chilled glass to keep the drink cold longer.

Variations

• Add a splash of milk, half-and-half, or sweetened condensed milk for a richer cafe au lait style.
• Drop in a couple of teaspoons of cocoa powder or a square of dark chocolate for a mocha frappe.
• Swap powdered sugar for vanilla ice cream and skip the ice for a dessert-style coffee shake.