I’m not a coffee drinker.
I’ll admit it – the dark black caffeinated water never appealed to me. Somehow I manage to wake up and begin the day without the siren call of caffeine. Unlike most of my family and friends I never grew to like coffee. My mother says I just haven’t ‘gown up yet’ – because that’s what grown ups drink. Coffee.
Even as a student when I began university I never crossed over to the dark side. I would always see my friends and other students clutching their mugs full of the black stuff. It was a life-saver; the only way you could possibly make it through those 8 am classes, midterms and final exams. Somehow I made it through just fine sans coffee. I wasn’t even a tea drinker – just good ol’ fashioned water.
When I was in my first year of university a friend and I were studying some cue cards before our midterm. She had bought chocolate-covered coffee beans and was snacking on them as we memorized our biology terms. Thinking nothing of it, I started snacking on them too because I like chocolate-covered things.
I felt my heart rate spike.
Being a non-caffeine person the introduction of it, and the whole bean nonetheless, began to make its way through my veins. By the time I was on the last question of the midterm I was buzzing. I think I was writing answers before I read the question. It was the fastest I had written a midterm. I stayed away from chocolate-covered coffee beans after that.
However, I have a weird taste for coffee-flavoured items. Cake? Brownies? Blended drinks? Ice-Cream? Yea, I like those things to taste like coffee.
Luckily, I live with one of those silly coffee drinkers. Thankfully he takes his coffee black; none of that fancy stuff. So when I do have a craving for coffee-flavoured confections I have a bag of beans close by.
On the bright side, I never have to ‘stop for a coffee,’ wait in those ridiculously long line-ups outside of Starbucks, Tim Hortons or the McDonald’s drive through to get my fix. I can start my day without putting a fresh pot on, and I can function fine if I haven’t had my regular cup of jo. Also, I can sleep just fine knowing I didn’t just spend 6$ on a cup of overpriced coffee.
Since school has started I wonder if I’ll cross over to the dark side eventually. As a teacher on call I might get the call at 5:30 am, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe one day.
I’d rather get my caffeine fix by eating something like coffee flavoured ice cream. You can even make it decaffeinated by using decaf coffee beans.
I sort of just tried out this recipe not knowing if it would work or not but I’m glad it did. I just had a day when I felt I needed a jolt of coffee.
As usual, it’s Dairy-Free and I only added maybe a 1/4 cup of sugar. I like coffee flavoured things to be a little less sweet, more like a shot of espresso – strong taste and a little bitter. Although this is still sweet because of the coconut milk.
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
- scant 1/4 cup sugar (can use coconut sugar)
- 1/2 Tbs. vanilla
- 1 Heat the coconut milk, sugar and coffee beans in medium sized sauce pan until it is quite warm and steamy, but be sure that it does not boil. Once the mixture is warm, cover and remove from the heat. Let the mixture steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
- 3 Reheat the coconut milk and coffee mixture, on medium heat, until warm and steaming, not boiling. Add the 1/4 cup almond milk and the vanilla, stirring it in.
- 4 Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a whisk until mixture thickens up a bit, about 8-10 minutes.
- 5 Pour the coconut milk mixture through a mesh strainer over a medium sized bowl. Push around the coffee beans in the strainer with a spoon to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible. Then discard the beans.
- 6 Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours or overnight, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Store leftovers in container in freezer.
