Frothy cold (or iced) coffee was a drink reserved for summer nights in India, especially when spending slow times with cousins, sprawled on dhurries on a rooftop terrace, gazing at the night sky and listening to adults gossiping. The nights used to be pitch dark when we were children and the notion of ‘protected dark sky zones’ was not yet necessary. My uncle would point out the sparkly and distant constellations while narrating related mythological stories of how they came about. Milk, sugar, instant coffee, and water would be blended till frothy and served in small glasses, which we sipped ever so slowly to prolong the cold treat. If I close my eyes on hot summer nights anywhere in the world, I find myself back on that terrace, enveloped by the night air, heavy with the fragrance of jasmine and frangipani, disturbed only by tinkling laughter and clinking glasses.

The focus of these popsicles was caffeine and hence I made them pretty strong but you can moderate the taste to your liking. I sometimes add a dollop of vanilla ice cream to my cold coffee drink, which makes the texture and taste more milky but I wanted these pops to be more coffee focused than creamy.

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Step by Step

1. Measure 3 tsp of instant coffee granules in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water to it. Stir till all the granules are dissolved.
2. Add 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk.
3. Add 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk.
4. Mix gently with a spoon or whisk.
5. Sprinkle some chopped almonds inside each popsicle mold (optional).

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6. Pour the coffee mix into each mold, cover and place in the freezer.
7. The popsicles will be ready to slurp within 3-4 hours.

Some Tips

You can skip the almonds, I added them for some crunch.

If your molds are upright, you can mix the nuts in the liquid and then pour into the molds. After about 2 hours, poke a stick through each mold and allow to freeze completely before serving.

When they are completely frozen, you can remove the pops from the molds and place in ziploc bags to clear up space in the freezer and to retain their freshness.

I have been treating myself to these on hot summer days and since they are light in texture, and refreshing and cool in my belly.