Fake Frappe

One of the things I miss most about working at a coffee shop is the ability to make myself drinks whenever I want. Because it can get pretty warm hanging around coffee makers, espresso machines, roasters, and ovens--I made pastries, too--all day, my favorite drinks were always frappes. After the shop closed, I had to look elsewhere to get my frosty caffeine fix. (On occasion I even make a trip to the-coffee-shop-that-must-not-be-named when I'm really desperate. I hate the way their coffee tastes, but the frappuccinos aren't bad.)

Making fraps at home is a little tricky. As far as flavor goes, it's not too difficult. The problem comes from trying to achieve the desired consistency. Our fraps at the coffee shop started out with a powdered base that gave the frap the desired flavor but also a creamy, thick texture. We blended it with chilled espresso, 2% milk, and ice. One way to come closer to achieving this texture at home is to use ice cream, heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk in it. I, however, don't usually have any of those things on hand, and other than the ice cream, I don't really want to drink any of them either. I'm a skim milk kind of girl, and therein lies my problem: how do I get that creamy, dreamy consistency without changing to a different kind of dairy?

I was thinking about other powdered solutions, such as hot chocolate mix, when a possibility occurred to me: pudding. Its whole purpose, when you get right down to it, is to make thick, flavored milk. It will help thicken the frap slightly, add some needed sweetness, and give it a boost of fun flavor, too. After playing around with a few variations, I settled on this recipe. The best way to make this would be to use espresso that you've mixed with milk and chilled. That will give you the strongest, purest coffee flavor. However, most people don't have epsresso machines at home, so the next best thing is to use iced coffee. (Click here to see how I make mine.) If you want to make the frap even thicker, you could cut down on the total amount of liquid you use, perhaps using stronger iced coffee in a smaller amount, but I think that this recipe finds a happy medium. It's not a perfect replacement, but it's not bad for making it at home. Try it with other flavors of pudding, a bit of flavored syrup added, some chocolate chips blended in, or a dollop of whipped cream on top to take it to another level.


Ingredients

3 oz iced coffee
3 oz milk
2 tbsp vanilla pudding mix
1 - 1 1/2 c ice
1-2 tsp sugar, optional


Directions

Combine iced coffee, milk, and pudding mix in blender. Pulse to stir in pudding mix. Allow to sit 3-5 minutes so that pudding can begin to thicken liquids.

Add ice and sugar, if desired, to blender. Blend 15-20 seconds until ice is completely incorporated. Drink immediately.


Servings: 1