Mont Blanc Recipe

Steep coffee

Combine 1 cup coarsely ground coffee and 4 cups cold filtered water in a large jar or pitcher. Stir to make sure all grounds are wet, cover, and steep in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 16 hours (12–18 hours).

Strain

After steeping, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth into a clean container. Press gently to extract liquid but avoid forcing grounds through. This yields cold brew concentrate. (If you prefer a less strong drink, dilute 1:1 with water or milk when assembling.)

Chill

Keep the strained cold brew in the refrigerator until ready to use. For the drink, fill a serving glass with ice (about 1 cup). Pour 1 cup of the prepared cold brew concentrate over ice (or adjust to taste/dilution).

Combine

In a small chilled jar or milk frother pitcher, add 3 tablespoons cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons cold whole milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional for more stable foam).

Froth

Using an electric milk frother, handheld immersion frother, or a tightly sealed jar (shake vigorously for 30–60 seconds), froth the mixture until thick, velvety cold foam forms. The foam should be pourable but hold some texture on top of the cold brew. If using a jar, refrigerate 5–10 minutes before shaking for better volume.

Adjust sweetness/texture

Taste a little of the foam and add more vanilla syrup (1/2 tsp increments) or a pinch more sugar if desired, then briefly re-froth to incorporate.

Assemble the Mont Blanc

Pour the chilled cold brew (about 1 cup) over ice in a serving glass, leaving ~1/2–3/4 inch headspace for foam. Gently spoon or pour the vanilla cold foam over the cold brew so it sits on top in a thick layer.

Add orange zest

Microplane or finely grate 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest directly over the foam. The oils from the peel will perfume the foam and drink. Optionally finish with a single orange twist placed on the rim.

Serve

Serve immediately with a straw or stirrer so the drinker can fold foam into the cold brew. Leftover cold foam can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours, but re-froth briefly before using.