Monday, September 30, 2013

Make Your Own Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino!

Howdy, everyone! Yep... I'm back. This first "post heart attack" offering isn't exactly a grand one, but in the immortal words of (Richard Dreyfuss as) Dr. Marvin... "baby steps, Bob."


I'm posting this a little late, but since yesterday was National Coffee Day (Sept 29, 2013), I figured it was "better late than never" and thought I'd share my version of a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino! Enjoy!

I started drinking coffee on a regular basis in my late 20's, but I know a few folks who developed a taste for it when they were still fairly young children... usually thanks to some eccentric, distant relative or friend of the family who thought it'd be a real hoot to turn junior (or junior miss) into the energizer bunny (right before bedtime, usually) by providing them with a little sip or ten of their coffee. It might have taken me a bit longer than some to fully appreciate the taste ~ not to mention the energy-boosting benefit ~ of a really good cup o' Joe, but I have very fond memories of the wonderful aroma that came wafting from the kitchen as my parent's coffee perked away on the stovetop every morning. Especially on bitter cold Winter mornings, when you could actually see your breath in the bedrooms upstairs. Yup. You read that right. You see, the house that I grew up in was built in 1869 and the only heat that the second story ever got was the little bit that drifted up the stairway or up through the floorboards. Brrrr! The Hubbs and I are back in that house now and we've made a lot of changes ...and yes, one of them was to run the heat upstairs.

But, as usual, I digress. We're here to talk about my favorite iced coffee drink ~ the always scrumptious Mocha Frappuccino! It's so easy to make at home that there's simply no plausible reason to have to go back to that fancy coffee shop and pay a small fortune for it, ever again. I mean, who really remembers which size is which, anyway? Tall, grande, venti, tiny, curly, moe... and now trenta? Huh? Oh well, as you'll see very shortly in the photos below, I can't say that I never go and buy a frappuccino, because it's pretty obvious that I sometimes keep the cups, wash them and reuse them a couple of times. Hey now... don't you go getting all Judge Judy on me. After all, where's the harm in a gal looking like she's got money to burn, even when she doesn't? ;) Besides, I can't help it if when I order a mocha frappuccino, they always give me a monogrammed cup. *wink *wink


Mocha Frappuccino
  • 8oz Strong Brewed Coffee of your choice
  • 1 Tbls Chocolate Syrup (heaping)
  • 4oz Milk - Non-Fat, Low-Fat, Reduced-Fat or Whole will all work
  • A tall glass (or if you're lucky enough to have a monogrammed cup, you may use that)
  • Whipped Cream
  • A Long Straw

Fill a tall (16oz) glass with ice cubes.


Brew the coffee in whichever manner you choose. As you can see, I used my Keurig and brewed a cup of my favorite K-Cup coffee, Donut Shop. In the coffee shops they use espresso in most of their coffee drinks, so whatever brewing method you use, it's best to have a full-bodied or bold coffee for this beverage.


Pour in the chocolate syrup. I basically eyeball it, but I think I can safely say that it works out to be a good heaping tablespoon. You can always add more after the fact, if you feel it needs it.


Pouring a thin liquid-y syrup (like Hershey's) over ice won't cause it to seize up or keep it from dissolving, so it blends in quite well when the hot coffee is poured over the top. I would not suggest using the "hot fudge" style ice cream toppings that come in a jar, though. They're far too thick and will not dissolve completely. If anything, they're more likely to seize up or solidify when they hit the ice. There are other syrups available out there, like the Torani brand that coffee shops often use and those are great, if you can get them.


I didn't allow my coffee to cool at all because I wanted to make sure that the chocolate syrup dissolved quickly and completely. If you are using coffee that was brewed earlier in the day and then refrigerated for a while, I would suggest that you add the cold syrup to the cold coffee and heat it for about 30 to 45 seconds in the microwave. Give it a good stir and then proceed on to the next step.


Pour the hot/warm coffee over the ice and syrup, leaving between 2 to 3 inches at the top for the milk and whipped cream to be added.


Give it a good stir before adding the milk, to further ensure that the chocolate syrup and coffee are well blended. I use an iced tea spoon. If you don't have any of those, you can use a basic table or butter knife, a serving spoon, or any longer utensil to stir yours.


If the mixture is blended well, it will already start to look a bit lighter in color and seem a bit more creamy.


Add the 4oz of your desired milk and stir again to combine. I used 2% (or reduced fat) milk, because that's what we always have on hand.


I found the measurements that I gave above, to create a drink that is equal in flavor to the frappuccinos that I get at Starbucks and other coffee shops, so I'm satisfied with the way these turn out each time. Of course, if you taste it and find that it's less chocolaty or doesn't seem to have enough coffee flavor, you can add more of whichever ingredient(s) will make it more to your taste.


Shake your whipped cream well and squirt a good sized dollop on top of your drink.


Add the domed cup top (if you have one) and then add your straw.


Drink up and Enjoy!!

A shot of Kahlua or Irish Cream or a Chocolate Liqueur (or any combination of these three) would make this a delightful adult beverage!


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