My friends Ruth and Gillian had been telling me about their newest discovery: coffee with almond milk. According to Ruth, it’s a Pugliese thing that you had to go all the way to Puglia to get. Gillian, instead, had it recently for breakfast at the newly opened Coramandel restaurant in Rome.
I’m a big lover of anything coffee. I love it hot and I love it cold. And as soon as summer begins I start making daily pilgrimages to Tazza d’Oro for granita di cafe or Fiocco di Neve for cafe affogato con zabione.
Usually, however, I am limited by the fact that I usually have to leave the house to grab one of these treats.
But last week I realized something really dangerous. After a quick trip to the supermarket down the road, I was able make this addictive treat in the comfort of my home, way too easily.
Latte di Mandorla is a southern Italian thing that traditionally is made by chopping up fresh almonds, letting them sit in water and sugar overnight, then squeezing the juices through a piece of muslin until you get an ambrosial, milky white almond drink.
But nowadays things have, of course, gotten much easier. Latte di Mandorla comes pre-made, in a milk carton, available at your local store (at least at mine).
So during these hot days of summer, my 11:00 am coffee break consists of iced almond coffee. It’s what my sister Robin refers to as a novelty coffee drink. And yes, it’s a bit Starbuckish. But that’s ok with me.
Iced Coffee with Almond Milk
1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
1/2 cup almond milk
ice
I like my iced coffee strong, so I brew a pot of espresso. I let it cool off for about 15 minutes, then add the cold milk. Fill the glass with as much ice as will fit. And to get the full, almost milkshake-like effect, you really need to use a straw. Trust me. 
It IS completely addictive.
I’ve been drinking an iced coffee every morning with home-brewed espresso, but now you have me craving one with almond milk. I will seek it out.
This is yet another one of your recipes that leaves me smacking my forehead in a “Why didn’t I think of that?” moment. Doh! Do I have espresso? Yes. Do I have almond milk? Oui. Hooray! Have to love two ingredient treats…
Stumblex upon this and yes LOVE love drink. Enjoying right now. Tis what led me to your delightful blog
Cheers
We switched to almond milk 5 years ago and never looked back. Our grocery store offers it in 5 varieties, regular, vanilla, chocolate, sweetened and unsweetened, all delicious with different variations of coffee – latte, espresso, iced – and it froths up beautifully for a cappuccino.
Here’s another twist; combine the almond milk and espresso in a handsome old-fashioned jam jar and stick it in the freezer. Give it a shake/stir whenever you are passing by and enjoy when it reaches your preferred level of ‘granite’-ishness. This summer I am letting it freeze pretty hard and then enjoying it all day at the office. Too bad we are already at Ferragosto!
Love this idea, and will try it today.
Make ice-cubes from coffee, rather than plain water. Then you don’t have to dilute your coffee to chill it.
OMG,brilliant idea!!!
If the almond milk is a sticky syrup, then I’d agree that it IS indeed pugliese in origins. I travel a few months each year around Southern Italy and I’ve seen the drink starting to spread. I had it first though, in Puglia, in Lecce. It goes back at least 30 years, when I first had it.
Silvestro
Lecce
http://www.awaitingtable.com
ciao Elizabeth!
such a wonderful idea. I just wanna go and make it right now! unfortunately it has to wait till tomorrow.
I’ve been having them daily!
I don’t think I said you have to go to Puglia to get iced coffee and almond milk. I think I said that Puglia is where this amazing concoction got its start. Now it can be found on my breakfast table every day!
An iced cold coffee to start a day?! Why not?! Drinking coffee became a routine for almost all people; some would drink coffee to lighten up their day, to keep awake and some drink coffee to release their stress. Well, according to studies, coffee is a good anti oxidant and by drinking a cup of coffee, it might give the person higher chances of living longer.
Hi Elizabeth, I loved your post and have just added a link to it in my blog about Salento (the homeland of this delicious drink!): http://salentoallseasons.wordpress.com/
Hope you can drop by and enjoy it!
Ok all very exciting- but I have only ever found plain almond milk in at the Canestro never seen it anywhere else and what I really want is the unsweetened Almond Milk with Vanilla– is this too much to ask in Rome?
Discovered this awesome drink last fall in Puglia and blogged about it today. Came across your blog and this post while looking for other references. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Too bad iced coffee season is coming to an end!
I just clicked on this link from your newsletter – and laughing at how almond milk and coffee was considered novelty in 2012 – it truly was! But I’m actually going to make this now for my 1pm coffee!