YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
For Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate:
1/2 gal. – cold filtered water
2 cups – coarse ground coffee
For Tapioca Pearls:
4 cups – filtered water
1/2 cup – dried black tapioca pearls
2 T – wildflower honey
For Honey Mocha-Almond Mix:
4 cups – unsweetened almond milk
3 T – wildflower honey
2 T – chocolate syrup
DIRECTIONS
For Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate: Place water in a large container (water pitcher with a lid works great), then add coffee grounds and stir to evenly combine. Cover the container, place in the refrigerator and steep for a minimum of 12 hours, but 24 hours is best.
After cold brew has steeped the allotted time, strain the coffee concentrate liquid through either a super fine mesh strainer or dampened cheesecloth (ensuring no grinds are in the liquid) into a clean container, keeping the liquid and discarding any solids. Set aside the liquid coffee mixture in the fridge.
This will yield approximately 1 1/2 quarts of cold brew coffee concentrate liquid. Use 1 cup for this recipe and save the remaining for more coffee drinks throughout the week.
For Tapioca Pearls: Bring 4 cups water to a full boil in a saucepot. Add tapioca pearls, stir and simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring throughout cooking time. Remove saucepot from heat, and let the tapioca pearls steep approximately 15-20 minutes longer in the hot water. After steeping, drain the cooked tapioca pearls in a colander (do not rinse). Place the warm tapioca pearls in a small container and add 2 T wildflower honey, stirring to evenly and fully coat the tapioca pearls (this will make a sweet, natural liquid coating). Cover the container and reserve at room temperature if using within a few hours. Keep in the refrigerator if storing for longer.
Cooked tapioca pearls are best used within a few hours of cooking.
Prepare the honey mocha-almond mix. Place 1 cup of chilled cold brew coffee concentrate, almond milk, 3 T wildflower honey and chocolate syrup in a container. Stir with a whisk to evenly combine.
Evenly divide the honey mocha-almond mix between 4 large glasses. Add 2 T of the reserved chilled tapioca pearls (with any residual honey liquid) to each glass. Top off each glass with ice cubes. Add 1 over-sized straw to each glass.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Chef Rob Corliss, made for the National Honey Board
TIP
To cut down on prep time, you can use pre-made cold brew coffee concentrate. If you make your own, Chef Rob Corliss recommends using Arabica coffee.
Add a touch of pure vanilla extract to the honey mocha-almond mix or use vanilla almond milk, if desired.
The honey mocha-almond mix can be prepared a day in advance to simplify prep.
The tapioca pearls can be boiled and then tossed in honey and held chilled, up to 12 hours in advance, to use in this recipe.
Tossing the cooked tapioca pearls in honey helps preserve them and deters them from drying out, hardening and becoming chewy.
Add a splash of Kahlua or dark rum to make this an adult brunch-inspired beverage.
If you love tapioca pearls and want 1/4 cup pearls vs. 2 T pearls in each glass, follow this ratio and then the same procedure as in step 3 of the above recipe:
- 1 cup black tapioca pearls, dried
- 8 cups water, filtered
- 3 T wildflower honey