Starbuck’s Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte Copycat

 

There’s an old movie from 1966 starring Cary Grant, Jim Hutton, and Samantha Eggar, called “Walk, Don’t Run.”  It takes place during the summer Olympic Games in 1964 and focuses on the housing shortage. Two men, Grant and Hutton, are forced to share a small apartment in Tokyo with the innocent and lovely Eggar. In one scene that I remember to this day, Cary Grant is making coffee, because it became obvious to him early on that neither Hutton nor Eggar could do it well enough to suit him. This was in the days of percolators (remember those?), Grant opens up a can of coffee grounds, pours it into the basket of the percolator filling it up, and levels it off with his index finger. Later, when he drinks this hearty brew he says, “That’s what I call coffee.” I have to agree.

My methods are a bit more modern and sophisticated than were his, but I want coffee strong enough to stand a spoon up in it. That’s why I never go to coffee houses. They never make the coffee strong enough to suit me, and I always question the cleanliness of their equipment.

Despite that, I must say that I am fascinated by some of their concoctions. Because drinking cold brew every afternoon at 3 PM has become as much a part of my lifestyle as waking up in the morning, I was eager to try a copycat recipe that I found on the web for Starbuck’s Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte. It’s simple enough, just add a tablespoon (I use more) of cinnamon syrup to cold brew coffee, top it off with a splash of cream, and you have a wonderful, refreshing beverage. I drink cold brew all through the winter, outside temperatures don’t dictate whether I drink coffee or not. If you only drink it during the summer, you'll need to add this one to your repertoire. It’s really good.

Starbuck’s Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte Copycat

 1/3 c. water

1/3 c. brown sugar, packed

   2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. cinnamon

Double shot espresso

Ice

¼ c. whole milk

 In a small saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook for 3-5 minutes until it comes to a simmer. Remove the syrup from the pot into an airtight container.

 Fill your favorite glass with ice. Add espresso and 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar syrup. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour in milk and enjoy.

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Vanilla Bean Syrup

One of the difficulties of being a food blogger is that sometimes the food just isn't pretty. Stews, for example, are very difficult to photograph, because essentially, they're brown. There is a bit of saving grace with them in that you can top them with chopped parsley to give a little depth, and that hint of green.

The recipe today is for Vanilla Bean Syrup, but I couldn't sprinkle parsley on top of this one. It's nothing special to look at, but it is special to taste. The temps are going to be in the low hundreds all week, and so it is the perfect time for cold brew coffee. I always keep a big mason jar of cold brew in the fridge, so I decided to add another mason jar of vanilla syrup to go along with it for those days when I’m feeling a bit sweet. 

This is essentially simple syrup with a vanilla bean scraped and added, and simmered for a bit. I couldn't believe how delicious it was. I had planned on using it strictly with cold brew coffee, but I have found it is delicious in cold brew tea as well (and I'm not a fan of sweet tea), not to mention drizzled on top of fresh fruit garnished with a hint of mint. I know I'm going to be making this again and again this summer, in fact, I ordered more vanilla beans this week so that I have plenty on hand. This is easy to make, well worth your time to do so, keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and there are so many uses. You have to try this!

Vanilla Bean Syrup

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup filtered water

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large vanilla bean

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Slit vanilla bean down the center. Scrape out the seeds and add to the mix along with the vanilla bean itself; stir in. Whisk constantly, over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in a jar. Keeps in the fridge for 10-14 days (if it lasts that long!).

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