Lavender Coffee
Dark Magic Coffee sat on the corner of Cordes Street and East Bay. With its doors flung wide-open, the cafe was taking advantage of the morning's cool air. The noisy sounds of Charleston waking up drifted into the shop as Kenzie walked up to the counter without glancing at the chalkboard menu. "Good morning, Ben."
"Hey, Kenzie. How's it going? You want your regular?" Kenzie liked that she had a regular. For it reminded her that she was a daughter of this city.
"Yep! Honey Lavender Iced Latte with coconut milk, please." The name tripped off her tongue like the name Dark Magic Coffee. Pure poetry, she thought.
- The Piper & The Prophecy
We’ve made it to the lowcountry and we’re taking a dainty step into Charleston with a special coffee in hand: Honey Lavender Iced Latte with Coconut Cream!
We’ve spent some time with the sisters in 1700s Scotland and with our present day mountain girl Rhianna Jo. Now we’ll be walking the old streets of Charleston (and my hometown) with McKenzie.
There are so many references to coffee in this book, that we’ll most likely have a whole section in the eventual cookbook. I’m no barista, so we won’t explore them all, but I thought this latte really established Kenzie’s character from the jump. Her regular drink of choice somehow really encapsulates a genteel sort of vibe that still sits heavy on the city.
We’re making lavender syrup and sipping it on sweltering days in the south.
ps: I’ve included pics of my favorite coconut cream and Nespresso that we drank all over Greece.
To make;
Honey Lavender Iced Latte with Coconut Cream
(12 servings)
Lavender syrup
6 tbsp dried lavender
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut milk or
1/4 cup coconut cream with 1/2 cup cold water
2 shots espressso or
1/2 cup strong coffee (2 tsp nespresso to 4 oz water)
add a pinch of salt
I. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in your dried lavender and let steep for about 8 minutes. Strain and stir the honey into the lavender “tea”.
II. Prepare your coffee and cream as you prefer.
III. Fill a tall glass with ice. Add your coffee, cream, and lavender syrup. Stir and enjoy!
IV. You can try one serving of the lavender syrup by using 1 1/2 tsp lavender, 2 tbsp boiling water, and 1 tbsp honey. Syrup keeps for 2-3 weeks in the fridge or can be frozen in tablespoon portions for three months. If using fresh lavender, you’ll need about three times as much.
~ from the table of Summer crosby hennessy of acorn moon mercantile ~