The coffee recipe here is based on a style of coffee served in Southeast Asia. Thai coffee and Vietnamese coffee are similar, in that both are sweetened with condensed milk. Thai coffee has a generous amount of cardamom and cinnamon added to the coffee basket, along with almond extract.
When I was a boy, I would accompany my father and his friends on deer hunting trips. I remember carrying a thermos of black coffee on day trips, and we had a coffee pot and ground coffee for overnight trips.
There would also be little cans of Carnation condensed milk for the coffee. The can would be opened with a keyhole punch, a little condensed milk would be added to the coffee, and then the top of the can would be covered with aluminum foil and saved for later. I didn’t realize it, but I guess I was way ahead of the trends by drinking coffee this way.
The can would be opened with a keyhole punch, a little condensed milk would be added to the coffee, and then the top of the can would be covered with aluminum foil and saved for later. I didn’t realize it, but I guess I was way ahead of the trends by drinking coffee this way.
Condensed Milk Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 cup ice
- 3-6 tbsp coffee
- 1 tbsp condensed milk
Instructions
- Brew the coffee using a French press, or a steel strainer basket of coffee for brewing a single cup. The coffee goes in the basket, and gets immersed in a cup of hot water.
- Fill a glass with ice. I like big ice cubes. Use an empty pudding or fruit cup container for a mold. If you are looking for something fancier, you can get silicone molds for ice spheres or cubes.
- Pour hot coffee over ice.
- Stir in condensed milk.
Other Ideas
- Serve hot
- Add whipped cream for a dessert drink
- Add cinnamon
- Add rum to make a cocktail
Accompaniments
- Dark Chocolate cake
- Dark chocolate squares
- Bourbon dark chocolate squares
- Ok, this is sick, but I am going to include it: Condensed milk toast. This is buttered toast drizzled or smeared with condensed milk, then broiled.
What makes this coffee recipe unique?
Condensed milk has had about 60% of the water removed, and sugar has been added. Evaporated milk is a similar product, but it is unsweetened.
Condensed milk is thick and syrupy, and has a long shelf life if unopened. Once opened, it will keep in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks. The addition of even a small amount of condensed milk will make for a very sweet coffee.
Derrick is a psychology professor in New England who is a conservative, liberty-loving patriot. he’s written numerous academic papers on psychological topics. When he’s not teaching, writing, or reading classical literature, he’s probably cooking something in the kitchen.
There should be a word of caution for those with food intolerances. Carnation products contain carrageenan.