Perk Up Your Iced Coffee With These 5-Layer Mocha Cubes

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Chocolate milk cold brew? Yes, please!

I love an iced coffee in the afternoon, especially in summer — and I make it even more of a treat with my five-layer ice cubes. With ribbons of coffee, milk and chocolate milk, they're such a pretty pick-me-up!

Iced-Coffee Cubes

Makes about 12

  • 3 cups black coffee, cold
  • 3 cups whole milk or half-and-half
  • ½ cup chocolate milk

1. Fill large, square ice-cube molds, such as Tovolo's King Cube tray ($9, amazon.com), with a thin layer of coffee and freeze. Once this first layer has frozen (about two hours), add a layer of milk or half-and-half and freeze. Then, add a thin layer of chocolate milk and freeze. Repeat the process with milk and a final layer of coffee, filling to the top.

2. To make the drink shown, pour chilled coffee and milk over the ice cubes — you can also add some Kahlúa or Baileys — and the cubes will melt into the most delicious iced coffee ever! Take it to the next level by keeping some sweetened condensed milk in a squeeze bottle and adding as much as you like (it's divine in my morning hot coffee, too!).

This story originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of House Beautiful.

Veggies Are the Secret Ingredient Your Cocktail Is Missing

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This recipe looks healthy, but tastes divine.

I love serving a specialty sneeky, even when a neighbor is just stopping by. It makes it seem like you went the extra mile! This arugula cocktail is green, so it looks healthy, but it's soooo delicious.

Arugula Sneeky

Serves 2

  • 4 ounces gin, vodka or tequila
  • 1 ounces fresh lemon juice
  • 2 ounces fresh cucumber juice
  • 1 ounces herb simple syrup, plus more to taste (recipe below)
  • ¼ cup fresh arugula leaves

Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Add all ingredients and shake-shake-shake, then strain into two glasses over ice. Garnish with slices of cucumber and rosemary sprigs.

Herb Simple Syrup

  • ½ cup each of fresh rosemary, mint and basil leaves
  • ¾ cup agave syrup
  • ¾ cup boiling water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir, cover and let stand for an hour. Strain syrup into a glass container and store in the refrigerator. It's also great drizzled on top of fruit, or for sweetening iced tea or lemonade.

This story originally appeared in the May 2017 issue of House Beautiful.