The Spicy Cowgirl

January can be rough for baked goods, a combination of an attempt to leave behind the indulgent holiday eating ways, and just burnout from all the baking of the holidays. So while I had a few ideas for weekend baking (a cake for book club, scones for work, a savory tart from a cookbook I need to review), I just could not make it happen.

However I did make this iced coffee concoction happen, after finally purchasing chile syrup online. I included Ree's formula for cold brew coffee but I make mine much stronger (8 quarts cold water to 1 pound ground coffee? I use 4 quarts to a pound) using the New York Times iced coffee formula. This kind of recipe is great because I regularly have cold brew on hand, so it's nice to have a few ways to dress it up.

The Spicy Cowgirl

(recipe from Ree Drummond via The Food Network)

Ingredients

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 ounce vanilla syrup 

6 ounces store-bought or homemade cold brew coffee, recipe follows

4 ounces whole milk 

1 ounce chile syrup (or simple syrup with hot chiles infused for 24 hours) 

1 ounce chocolate sauce 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Cold Brew Coffee:

1 pound ground coffee (a good, rich roast)

8 quarts cold water 

Directions

1. Lightly whip the cream with the vanilla syrup in a bowl and have on standby.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the cold brew coffee, milk, chile syrup, chocolate sauce and ice, then shake until frothed and combined. Pour into an ice-filled glass, top with vanilla whipped cream to cover and dust with the cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Cold Brew Coffee:

1. Mix the ground coffee with the water in a large container. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour the coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all the liquid to run through. Discard the grounds. Refrigerate and use as needed.