Frappuccino (Frozen)

This frozen coffee drink was an instant hit when introduced in 1995 at the Seattle-based coffee house chain. Customers found the drink to be a great-tasting, new way to get their caffeine buzz. And now it can be "dooped" at home -- as long as you have a blender, some cold coffee, and a few other simple ingredients lying around.

Coffee:
1 1/2 cups cold coffee
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups crushed ice or ice cubes

1. Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in a blender and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar.

2. Add the vanilla extract and ice then blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend.

3. Pour drink into two 16-ounce glasses.

Makes 2 large drinks.

Caramel:
For this version, add 2 tablespoons of caramel syrup to the recipe above and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream and drizzl caramel over the whipped cream.

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Frappuccino

This is a mimick for Starbuck's "Lowfat Creamy Blend of Coffee & Milk" that you can now find in the all-too-puny 9 1/2-ounce bottles in most stores. Those little bottles will set you back at least a buck, but this Mimicked Recipe's version costs a mere fraction of that. Plus, the recipe actually makes enough that you can get a pretty major caffeine buzz. Then, when you get down to the "JMR Notes" I'll tell you how to clone espresso with a standard drip machine and ground coffee.

1/2 cup fresh espresso
2 1/2 cups lowfat milk (2 percent)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dry pectin*

Combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher or covered container. Stir or shake until sugar is dissolved. Chill and serve cold.
Makes 24 ounces.

JMR Notes:
To make the "Mocha" variety:
Add a pinch (1/16 teaspoon) of cocoa powder to the mixture before combining.

To fake espresso with a drip coffee maker and standard grind of coffee:
Use 1/3 cup ground coffee and 1 cup of water.
Brew once then run coffee through machine again, same grounds.
Makes about 1/2 cup fresh espresso to use in the above recipe.
Run a pot of water through machine, without grounds, to clean. (inspired by my mom. Dad, too!)

*This is a natural thickener found in fruits that is used for canning. You can find it in the supermarket near the canning supplies. It is used in this recipe to make the drink thicker and creamier, and can be found in the original recipe. It does not add to the flavor and can be excluded if you don't care so much about duplicating the texture of the real thing.

An additional treat can be had by using any of the flavored coffees (found at the grocery store). I used Hazelnut the first time I made this, and it was incredible!

I work for Starbucks. We don't get to know the formula for the Frappucino mix at the store level, but I can say that your proportions aren't quite correct. We actually brew double-strength Italian Roast coffee and six it one-to-one with the mix before adding the ice; easiest way to do double-strength is with a flat-bottomed paper filter in a regular (Mr. Coffee-type, not Melitta or Krups) drip coffee machine. Use about double the amount of coffee you normally would (that's why it has to be flat-bottomed -- cone filters can't hold enough coffee) and brew. The end result, once chilled, looks and smells remarkably like crude oil, but it's exactly what you're looking for. (By double the amount, I mean close to a quarter of a pound of coffee for one pot. This stuff really is the kind of stuff you can stand a spoon up in.)

First I use Maxwell House Italian Roast Expresso and make it double strength...I use 8 Tbsp. coffee and 4 cups cold water in my Mr. Coffee machine. This will make 12 frappachino bottles (filled 2/3's full).

Then while coffee is still hot, I put my 1/4 cup sugar and (here's the big change), 1 tsp. (not Tbsp.) of pectin in my blender. Add the hot coffee and mix a few seconds at a medium speed.

The next thing I changed is that I purchased 38% fat free Lactaid milk (you need 3 quarts). I did this for one main reason...it doesn't expire for a long time and it is what my husband calls a "sweet" tasting milk. I add my 2 1/2 cups Lactaid to the blender and process again for a few seconds. Fill 3 bottles evenly. Repeat this process 3 more times, flavoring as desired. This makes the plain coffee flavor.

To make mocha...I add with the sugar and pectin 1 tsp. cocoa.
To make vanilla...I purchased vanilla syrup in the coffee section of my grocery store and I add 2-3 tsp. with sugar and pectin. (They have other flavors of syrups if you wanted to create your own flavor....I have not personally tried any others yet.)

You can also add some half and half as part of the milk (I ran out of the Lactaid milk the first time and punted by adding some half and half and regular milk) if you want it to taste creamier and richer.

I found that less pectin made it taste much much better and the Lactaid milk helps to sweeten things up too. I no longer have the tangy (sour) after taste that the tablespoon of pectin gave it.

I found the pectin to be a little on the bitter side. I substituted the pectin with Knox Unflavored Gelatin. It thickens the drink fabulously within a couple of hours and no bitterness.

I thought that I would share my version of Starbucks Frappuccino.
I have a lot of "variables" for it - depending on my mood that day! :o)

1 package instant hot cocoa mixed with 1 cup hot water

2 1/2 tsp Medaglia d'Oro (instant espresso powder) mixed with 1 cup hot water

2 tsp vanilla (and sometimes with a splash of almond)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (or use the low fat sweetened condensed milk)

3 tbsp sugar (or to taste)

5+ cups fresh *strong as you like* coffee

Mix all together in large container and chill -
I then make individual servings by pouring into old Snapple jars.


Starbucks does not use espresso for this drink. They use double strength Italian roast coffee. All you have to do is use the same amount of grounds as you would for a full pot, but half the water. This is also their preferred method for iced coffee. Make the double strength and pour is over ice!


The Starbucks' recipe is fantastic, but I missed the consistency of the in-store frozen beverage. I have a "slush cup" for my daughter, and decided to try that. If, like me, you prefer the frozen drink over the bottled, this works great, and saves a small fortune each month over running to the coffee shop.

I used Nestle's Quick.

Another recipe for frozen frap
I have a great recipe for frozen frappuccino; it contains:
about 1- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk ( depending on how rich you want) about 1cup cold espresso enough ice to make the size '' slush'' you want

Directions:
Combine the milk and espresso until smooth and the consistency desired is reached ( you can vary the amount you use of the ingredients to make more or less mix). You can make this base ahead of time and it will keep a long time in the fridge until you want to use it. When you want to make a frozen Frappuccino(R) just put enough ice in a blender to make a "slushy" consistency and pour some of the base into that and blend until smooth.

Variations:
You can add any coffee flavoring syrup into the blender while it
is blending (ex. irish creme frappuccino).

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