I thought up this idea when I was drinking my special, potent daily brew of iced coffee.

I hate, no, loathe overly diluted coffee. The delicate roast and finish is lost in the watery jiggliness of whatever is left behind, the robust body of the bean practically eliminated from the equation altogether. It hurts, it saddens!

Until I got this baby together. Now, my coffee shall never suffer. This turned my brew into a chocolate coffee dream, the finishing sips thick and sublime. I first came across this genius of a put-together here (no, I refuse to call it a recipe, because the steps are too excruciatingly simple for that tiresome label). And trust me, they work a dream. Each little cube, no matter what size or shape your mould, is like a little frozen chocolate treat, rich and chocolatey, retaining the perfect degree of creaminess without yielding its form too quickly. 

Dark chocolate ice cubes, from here

1/4 cup good cocoa powder

2 cups hot, recently boiled water

1/4 cup agave syrup/ liquid sweetener of choice

1 teaspoon each of vanilla extract and salt (optional)

Steep the cocoa in the boiled water and syrup, or alternatively heat ingredients in a saucepan until you reach the boiling point. Once this point is reached, bring heat down to a simmer. Add the vanilla and salt if you want. The original recipe does not call for either but I found it really gave it the extra pizzaz. Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes before pouring into an ice cube tray. Mine made around 14 large ice cubes, and this was after I cleverly managed to spill some of the mixture from the saucepan. Well done, Alex.

Leave for a few hours or overnight, and there you’ll have the most delectable, convenient chocolate treat. Eat it by itself (no teeth breaking included, hoorah!) or pour over your favourite iced coffee blend. I think the best way to have it is in a small glass of cold milk. Leave it to thaw for a few minutes before going in with a teaspoon or firm straw, and hack at it like child’s play. I swear, it makes the best chocolate slushy, or, I dare say, de-caffeinated frapp.