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Author:
Sophie Khan
The first iced coffee I had in my life was a mocha iced coffee. I had never tried a regular mocha before either, so the combination of decadent chocolate and intense coffee was forever engraved in my mind. It is still the first thing that comes to my mind on warm, sunny evenings.
Mocha Iced Coffee is a crowd-pleaser and tempts even those who don’t appreciate coffee much. The icy drink is more closely related to some sort of liquid dessert than to a cup of Joe. For me, the chocolate-coffee combo reminds me of drinkable tiramisu!
It comes as no surprise that I order mocha iced coffee often, which in my head makes me kind of an iced-mocha-connoisseur (not really,) but I DO can tell between a lousy and a nice one.
Chocolate syrup has its uses, but for me, it has no place in an iced mocha, it’s too sweet and overpowering, and is usually out of balance with the espresso.
The perfect mocha iced coffee is out there. Trust me, I’ve tried it, and it’s in pure harmony; both the chocolate and the coffee shine and push each other to greatness.
At the heart of an iced mocha are milk, chocolate, and coffee, but with so many options for each, what to use?
For the milk, I prefer half & half, it’s creamier than whole milk and doesn’t dilute as easy when in contact with ice.
For the coffee, I love a one-ounce shot of dark roast Arabica-Robusta blend, think something like Java.
For the chocolate, I go for unsweetened cocoa powder, and I add all the additional sweetener I want later, like you do with proper coffee.
Today we’re all used to coffee smoothies, as the one and only way of enjoying a cold brew. It wasn’t always this way, though. Before the big chains took over, when you could just have a cup of coffee from your neighborhood coffee shop, you could enjoy an iced coffee poured over ice cubes, really!
What’s the difference? You might ask. Coffee “on the rocks” is much more intense, as it dilutes slower compared to a drink blended with ice.
That’s why today we’re making a proper mocha iced coffee, unsweetened, unblended, and seriously tasty.
Brew one shot (1 oz) of coffee, let it cool down.
Mix the half and half with the cocoa powder and the espresso.
Try it and sweeten it to taste. You can use Stevia or any other sugar substitute for a healthier version.
Store the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove from freezer and use a hand blender to make a frothy drink.
Pour the mixture into your glass or cup filled with fresh large ice cubes.
Garnish with dusted unsweetened cocoa powder.
