Festive-themed iced coffee recipes to keep the heat at bay

I remember the first time I had an iced coffee. It was December and I was working at a retail store and the air conditioner wasn't working. I had a headache and realised it was too hot to have hot coffee.

I walked into my local coffee shop and asked if they could make me a cold coffee. "Would you like a frosted cappuccino," the barista asked. The only question I wanted answered was: "Is it nice?" He said, "You'll come back for more."

More than 14 years later, frosted cappuccino has become my iced coffee beverage of choice. I remember when everyone was trying out dalgona coffee recipes during the height of the pandemic last year and while it was fun, it didn't impress me much.

Now, I am not saying it's basic, but not all ice coffees are equal. There's something about the decadence of frappés that just makes everything okay.

Unlike hot coffee, iced coffee needs some specialised tools for it to be a success. Sure, you can make coffee, then add milk and ice, and cold brew is great, but sometimes you need a special blender or coffee machine to make the good stuff that's sold in the coffee shops and make it at home yourself.

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In order to get it right, we asked baristas at Durban’s Thirst Bar Services and Issa Sheik, the owner of Windemere’s Roast Lab, who gave us great iced coffee and frappés recipes that will be festive for the decadence of the festive season.

They used coffee from the Starbucks At Home Holiday Blend, and they are so easy, you can make them yourself at home. Calories be damned! It is time to feast.

Plus they are perfect for drinking in the car on your way to do your last-minute shopping.

Toffee Nut Frozen Latte

Glass: Tall Highball Glass

Ingredients

1 Starbucks at Home Toffee Nut Latte Sachet

180ml hot water

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

1 cup cubed ice

Method

Pour sachet of toffee nut latte into a cup.

Add 180ml of hot water and stir well.

Pour the mixed ingredients into a bullet blender, add scoops of vanilla ice cream and blend.

Garnish: Coat the glass in toffee sauce and sprinkle with chocolate hundreds and thousands.

Holiday Blend Mudslide

Glass: Large Wine Glass

Ingredients:

1 shot Starbucks at Home Holiday Blend capsule

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

10ml hazelnut syrup

10ml Cinnamon Syrup

Whipped cream

Method

Using a holiday blend capsule pour a single serve, using a Dolce Gusto machine. Then add the single serve to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients.

Garnish: Coat the glass in chocolate sauce and garnish with whipped cream.