Coffee you can't get at Starbucks

I start my day with coffee.  In fact, I've enjoyed the same Iced Chocolate Pudding Protein Latte at 6:30 AM everyday since I discovered it over 3 years ago, but later in the day I like some variety (not to mention the caffeine).

Here are some of my favorites that you simply can't buy at Starbuck's - and they are WAY better and a LOT cheaper!

These recipes are all made with strong coffee.  That means it is either espresso or brewed coffee using extra ground coffee in the filter or press.  But fear not if you don't have an espresso machine, a french press or even a drip coffee maker.  I find  a teaspoon of Instant Espresso Powder does an excellent job as well - or a good "double strength" cup of Decaf Folger's Crystals, if I have reached my daily caffeine quota - and it is SUPER handy

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

If you have ever ordered this in a Vietnamese restaurant, then you'll probably agree with me that it's the best iced coffee in the world. You can use any freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso with excellent results, but for a truly authentic cup of "ca phe sua da" you can get the Vietnamese-style drip coffee maker and genuine Vietnamese coffee.

For each serving:
2-3 Tbs sweetened condensed milk, or to taste (Sugar Free Recipe Version Below)
1/2 cup Vietnamese-style coffee or strong coffee or espresso
1/2 cup crushed ice

Put the sweetened condensed milk in a glass. 
Add the coffee and ice and stir. (If using a Vietnamese-style drip coffee maker, brew the coffee and let it drip directly into the glass.) 
Makes about 1 cup.

Sugar Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

Desserts made from sweetened condensed milk are very rich, ooey and gooey delicious! Sweetened condensed milk was actually started back in Civil War times as a way for soldiers to have milk that wouldn’t go bad.  The recipe below is the sugar free favorite at my house.



1 cup Powdered Milk
1 cup Splenda Granular (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)
1 tbsp Butter (Yes, you need the butter - don't ask!)
1/2 cup boiling water

Add Powdered Milk and Sweetener to blender/food processor.
Chop Butter into small pieces and scatter over the top of the powders
Drizzle boiling water over the mixture, allowing butter to melt

Blend very well and allow it to sit a moment to thicken.

Can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen.

Cafe con Leche

I discovered this while working in Tampa, Florida.  The locals told me it was a Cuban import.  Let me tell you - the Cubans know their coffee as well as they know their cigars.  This is not only delicious, it is addictive!  Partake in moderation or you'll find yourself scrubbing the ceiling while hanging on up there by your fingernails.

This is the hot version of the previous drink and great to "get your motor running" on chilly mornings.

For each serving:
2-3 Tbs sweetened condensed milk, or to taste (Sugar Free Recipe Version Below)
1 cup strong (Double Strength) coffee


Put the sweetened condensed milk in a cup. 
Add the coffee and stir.
Makes about 1 cup.

Cafe au Lait

Meaning "coffee with milk", this is a French coffee drink, although the meaning differs between Europe and the United States.

In many American coffeehouses, a "café au lait" is a drink of strong drip brewed or French pressed coffee, to which steamed milk is added; this contrasts with a "caffè latte", which uses espresso as a base. American café au lait is generally served in a cup, as with brewed coffee, being served in a bowl only at shops which wish to emphasize French tradition.

1/2 cup strong coffee (not espresso)
1/2 cup steamed (or warmed) whole milk

Add ingredients to cup or bowl
Still gently


Café Brûlot Diabolique



Café Brûlot was created at the famous New Orleans restaurant Antoine's in the 1890s, and this is the my sugar-free take on the recipe as it appears on their website.


2 sticks cinnamon
8 whole cloves
Peel of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons Splenda Granular (or equivalent sweetener of choice)
3 ounces brandy
3 cups strong black coffee

Put the cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel and brandy in a fireproof bowl and heat on an open flame. 
When the brandy is hot, but not boiling, bring the bowl to the table and ignite with a match. 
Use a ladle to stir and pour the liquid around the bowl for 2 minutes. 
Pour the hot coffee into the flaming brandy.
Add sweetener and ladle the mixture into demitasse cups.

Note: By allowing the brandy to burn, a goodly portion - but not ALL - of the alcohol is dissipated, so there is a potential for inebriation or blood sugar spikes from what remains.  I tend not to have these on days when I'm working...

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee Concentrate


In the summertime, iced coffee is even more prevalent in my house than iced tea - which is to say something here in the South.  We make it in an instant from a refrigerated jug of coffee concentrate.

12 ounces coarsely ground fresh coffee beans
7 cups cold water

Place ground coffee in a large mouthed container. 
Gradually add cold water. 
Stir gently to be sure all grounds are moistened. 

Cover with a layer of cheese-cloth. Let stand at room temperature for 15 hours.

Remove cheesecloth and use it to line a fine-mesh sieve set over a large pitcher. 
Pour coffee through sieve into a pitcher (do not stir); rinse jar and set aside. 
Discard cheesecloth with solids.

Line same sieve with a large coffee filter and set over reserved jar. 
Strain coffee through sieve into jar. (It may take up to 45 minutes for all of the coffee to drip through; do not stir or coffee may become cloudy.) 
Cover and chill. 
Makes about 5 cups of concentrate.

To make iced coffee, fill a glass with ice. Dilute 1 part coffee concentrate with 1 part milk, if desired, or water.

Note: For a clear liquid, use coarsely ground coffee. (Finely ground beans make for a cloudier drink.)
If kept chilled, coffee concentrate can last up to 2 weeks.(Makes GREAT ice cubes - which keep indefinitely!)

Got a favorite specialty coffee recipe?  Let me know in the comments!