DIY Summer Drinks: How To Make Dulce de Leche + Ice Coffee Recipe

Posted by Alexandra C. | Thursday May 24, 2012

Summer doesn't officially start for me until Starbucks starts to advertise their delicious cold coffees. That's when I know that a wave of sunshine and warm weather is about to hit! Nothing says summer, like a day at the beach with an iced coffee. You may not realize it, but cold coffees are very easy to make yourself and taste just as good. Or, in this case, even better.

That's because I have perfected the art of iced coffee making with the addition of dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is a traditionally South American syrup. It's basically caramelized condensed milk and you can most often find it as a filling in desserts or as a topping on desserts. It's pretty incredibly delicious and it's deceptively easy to make.

This cold coffee comes in two parts, first I'll tell you how to make dulce de leche. You'll have a fairly large amount and you'll be able to use the leftovers for any dessert. I recommend trying it on ice cream or waffles, or in a latte, or in churros or...well, you get the point.

Part 1- Dulce de Leche

Here's what you'll need:

1 can condensed milk
Pot (small-medium size)
Can opener

First things first, remove the paper label from your can of condensed milk.

1. Next, puncture two holes on the can's top, on opposite sides using the can opener.

2. Put the can in the pot. Fill with water, until you reach about 1 inch from the top of the can.

Place the pot, with the can in it, on the burner. Turn the stove on to about medium-high heat until the water comes to a simmer.

Once it starts simmering, turn the heat down to a temperature where the water will continue to simmer. You'll see, like in the picture, that some of the condensed milk may spill over the top. This is normal, just scoop away with a spoon and make sure it doesn't get in water.

Now, this is the easy/annoying part. You'll need to leave the water simmering for a good 2-4 hours. The good news is, you don't really need to keep an eye on it. You can leave it be for a while, go do something else and come back to check on it every 40 minutes or so. The water will evaporate so you'll need to add more but other than that, the condensed milk should be good on it's own. The longer you leave it to simmer, the thicker, harder and darker it will become. I would say the max you should let it stay is 4 hours though.

You might start to get worried that what you are seeing on the top is white, not brown. Don't freak out. It will be much darker on the bottom of the can.

After you're finished simmering the condensed milk for the desired length of time. Using tongs, take the can out of the pot and let it cool. Be careful not to burn yourself- the can will be hot!

Open the can with a can opener. Pour out the contents into a bowl. There will be darker, brown chunks at the bottom that will need to be taken out too. Once in a bowl, whisk together until the mixture is homogeneous and it has a thick, honey-like consistency.

Part 2- Coffee Prep

3. With the glass you'll be enjoying your iced coffee in, put in about 2 tbsps (or more or less depending on your taste) of the dulce de leche. Leave this to the side for now.

4. Next, brew espresso as you normally would.

Part 3- Coffee

Here's what you'll need:

Espresso
Milk
Ice Cubes

5+6. Add around 2 shots of the freshly brewed espresso to your glass. It will be hot which will help melt the dulce. Mix well to help dissolve the dulce into the espresso.

7+8. Fill the rest of the glass with milk and then add about 3 ice cubes.

There you have it- the dulce de leche iced coffee!

Are you caffeine junkies like me? Or maybe dulche de leche junkies? Let me know!

(via foodwishes)

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24 Comments

	on July 22, 2012 crysrob 1,881 said: Seems like it takes some time, but also might be worth it for a nice summer treat.
	on May 30, 2012 Racenhawk 2,704 said: yummy, gonna try it!
	on May 30, 2012 Wweckworth 605 said: Not a bIg fan of cold things that taste like coffee...
	on May 30, 2012 Loyalt 3,381 said: woo the dolla store glasses I too have make an appearance again. Looks good too!
	on May 30, 2012 Lisa said: Nice! I wonder if you can simmer it in a slow cooker on high so it's less high maintenance. Thanks for the great instructions!
	on May 29, 2012 JustUsGirls 3,263 said: This looks so good and would be perfect for a Summer morning drink or afternoon drink, I`ll have to make sure to save this recipe!
	on May 28, 2012 fredamans 12,209 said: Be honest with ya, it looks like a lot of work for one drink...
	on May 26, 2012 Charmheart16 3,985 said: This looks delicious. Coffee and condensed milk - doesn't get better than that. I'm definitely trying out this recipe.
	on May 26, 2012 petitechouxx 2,859 said: i have to try this! this look so good and i love dulce de leche!
	on May 26, 2012 alexandra dlc 1,236 said: My family is from Peru and we grew up eating dulce de leche!! so yummy.... I never thought of mixing it with iced coffee..can't wait to try. When we make the dulce de leche, we don't puncture the can, we just let it boil making sure it is always fully inmerse in the water, this way you don't have to worry about it separating, just open the can and enjoy, Another little tip; we usually cook 2 or 3 cans at a time, it takes 4 hours just the same and the unopened cans keep in for a long time (2 or 3 months)....enjoy