Chrissy Teigen Shares a 3-Ingredient Iced Coffee Recipe Straight From Thailand
Cookbook author and former supermodel Chrissy Teigen frequently provides simple yet ingenious recipes through her Cravings by Chrissy Teigen website. Though summer is soon coming to a close, Teigen hopes to keep her followers cool with an icy caffeinated beverage straight from her Thai roots.
Quarantine life for Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Maintaining quarantine and social-distancing rules, Teigen is spending unprecedented amounts of quality time with husband John Legend and their two kids, Luna and Miles. Teigen commented in April on life in lockdown.
“We’ve been doing it since the second they told us to,” she told Yahoo Entertainment of following restrictions implemented in Los Angeles. “But I’ve been quarantining mostly my whole life. I’m not an outdoor cat.”
In addition to her husband and kids, Teigen is surrounded by family and others to help with her home and children.
“My mom is still with us and we have [others helping as well],” Teigen said. “That’s why whenever I get asked like: How are you doing? I’m like: I can’t say anything but great because we have so much help. We have really wonderful people around us who are helping our world still go round … I give an incredible amount of thanks to the people that we have who still want to be here with us.”
A recipe from Chrissy Teigen’s Thai background
The cookbook author’s mom is originally from Thailand, where Teigen takes her family on an annual vacation. Because she can’t travel this year, the former model decided to share a favorite beverage recipe from the region.
“The fam and I usually visit Thailand in August, but for obvious reasons, cannot this year,” Teigen wrote to her Cravings by Chrissy Teigen followers. “We love to visit the many delicious street food carts that you can find on just about every corner. … Of course, one of the most popular things you can get is Thai iced coffee. This is so much more special than your average morning iced latte – instead of half & half, we use condensed milk to add sweetness and a creamier, thicker texture.”
Teigen offered options for those with more of a sweet tooth, as well as some potential spices to add.
“The coffee tends to be on the stronger side so you can taste it when mixed with the sweet milk,” she explained. “Sometimes it’s blended with warm spices like cardamom or coriander, but it’s just as great plain and simple. This ‘recipe’ is easy to follow and endlessly customizable. If you prefer your coffee on the sweeter side, add more sweetened condensed milk; if you like it rocket-fuel strong, add more coffee. … And honestly, get ready for lift off, because this drink will definitely wake you up!”
How to make Chrissy Teigen’s Thai iced coffee
Teigen credits three ingredients that make this beverage “unique”: coffee, condensed milk, and some kind of flavoring. (Teigen suggests vanilla or almond extract as options.) Here are the specifics from her Cravings website for the ingredients and how to mix them all up:
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules/powder (or 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder)
- ¾ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons milk (any kind, but preferably whole)
- Ice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)
Pour the coffee or espresso powder in a heatproof glass or mug, and then combine the hot water until the coffee is dissolved. The mixture should cool for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Then, pour the condensed milk and regular milk in the bottom of a glass. Stir until it is smooth. Next, add plenty of ice to the glass, along with the coffee. Add vanilla or almond extract if desired. Then, mix the milk and coffee together.
Teigen recommended combining 5 tablespoons of half-and-half or heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar if you don’t have condensed milk on hand. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cool for 10 minutes.
Teigen’s Thai speciality sounds like a keeper year-round!
