Thai food fans…what beverage do you indulge in when you go out to enjoy a meal at your favorite Thai restaurant? For me, it is a tall Thai iced tea!  Yum!  But this truly is a decadent indulgence, for sure.  Now the ‘tea’ part is usually not the problem…it is the addition of the creamy, very sweet ‘milk-y’ portion that is of concern.

So, when my daughter, Kassia, and I were planning our Mother’s Day meal, we decided NOT to cook but to get Thai takeout… some sushi, some pineapple fried rice, a couple of (rice) noodle-based dishes, and some curry.  Delish!  But we thought that we would make the dessert, soup, and beverages to accompany the restaurant-prepared food.

She chose a recipe for a black rice (rice) pudding topped with toasted coconut flakes and homemade coconut milk whipped topping. I was given responsibility for the soup (I made Tom Kha Ga–a coconut milk-based soup with chicken and mushrooms fantastically flavored with lemongrass, lime, and ginger; Dana has a wonderful recipe here; check it out!) and the  beverages. We put out a selection of flavored seltzers, some mango 100% juice for the grandkids, a nice bottle of Reisling, and a big pitcher of Thai iced tea and (to keep to our choices to eat healthier) a small bowl of homemade condensed milk made with coconut milk and agave nectar. This fit right into our healthy but oh-so-yummy point of view so I thought that I would share it with you! Enjoy!

Coconut Condensed Milk

Ingredients:
(1) 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or sweetener* of your choice)

Directions:

• Pour the coconut milk into a small, heavy-bottomed stainless saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat ‘til it comes to a boil, about 5 minutes
• Whisk in the sweetener of your choice ‘til thoroughly blended
• Bring back to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to medium-low maintaining a constant simmer; whisk every 5 minutes or so
• Continue to simmer for 35-45 minutes, ‘til the content is reduced by about half

To serve, fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Fill almost up with Thai tea, and then add 1-2 tablespoons of your homemade, healthier condensed milk.

You can, of course, use whatever spicy tea that is your favorite. To replicate that delicious beverage served in most Thai restaurants, use traditional Thai tea which produces a vibrant orange-colored, full flavored tea.

* I prefer using coconut sugar or honey as my natural sweetener, but agave nectar, pure maple syrup, coconut nectar, or stevia should work just fine. Adjust sweetness to taste; enjoy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen