cold brew latte with vanilla-date almond milk

it's been unusually warm in seattle the last few days. rumor has it that the temperature broke some records. i am all for it. i'll take a balmy 85 degrees over our usual may rain anytime! besides yoga, i had nothing to keep me from being outdoors all day long. strolling through the neighborhoods, looping around beacon hill and meandering through madrona or walking up to volunteer park. all this walking has worked up a thirst for cold brew coffee. and while there is no shortage of good coffee in seattle, it's surprisingly satisfying to make your own overnight cold brew! especially when stirred with equal parts vanilla almond milk sweetened with dates (an idea i got from my old neighborhood cafe, joddee's). 

tomorrow, i'm catering (and attending) my sisters wedding shower. my plan was to bake two types of cookies to serve. but since it's been so warm in our apartment with the afternoon sun streaming in through our west-facing windows, i had to wake up early to get the baking out of the way before it got too toasty indoors. the recipes are repeats from previous posts. these buttery macadamia nut shortbread cookies, and an adaptation of this coconut macaroon recipe with an added 1/8 cup of cocoa nibs added to the mix. 

cold brew coffee ~ serves many, depending on your daily caffein consumption 

1 cup ground coffee beans (drip or french press grind is fine) 

5 cups water 

stir together in a large pitcher, to moisten the grinds. let sit for 12 on the counter, or longer in the fridge (up to 24). strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. chill. 

*note that cold brew is high in caffein - think of it as condensed coffee: either cut with water or milk, and serve over ice. 

date sweetened vanilla almond milk ~ makes 4 cups 

1 cup raw organic almonds

3-4 medjool dates, pitted and quartered
4 cups water, plus more for soaking 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

soak almonds in several cups of water overnight, or for 8-12 hours. after soaking, strain from water, rinse and place into blender with dates. add 4 cups of fresh water and blend for about a minute until almonds are fully broken down. strain milk through nut-milk bag into a bowl. squeezing gently to press all of the moisture through. transfer milk to a quart-sized jar and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. stir and chill. 

cold brew latte with vanilla-date almond milk ~ serves 1

mix equal parts almond milk with cold brew and serve over ice. enjoy!