Last month I developed an obsession with blended, iced coffees. You know the ones that I mean — “frappucinos,” “arctic mochas,” frozen mochas.” I just couldn’t get enough of these cold, chocolaty, caffeine-laced treats. From Starbucks to small, independent coffee shops I tried every variation. Endless consumption resulted not only in a bulging waistline but also in some interesting discoveries. Beyond coming to grips with the fact that these drinks are chocked full of calories (depending on the size ordered, between 300 and 700 calories per drink) and fat (between 10 and 21 grams per drink) I learned that every barista makes his drink differently and not every drink thrills me equally.
Truth be told, I fell head over heels for the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s mocha-licious version yet threw out the slushy, overly sweet offering from Dunkin Donuts after just one sip. As usual, Starbucks served up a tasty but bold brew while Panera Bread delivered something more akin in flavor to a mild chocolate milk shake. Some smaller shops doled out iced mocha lattes without much emphasis on the frozen aspect of a “frozen mocha” while others poured pure perfection into a plastic cup.
After talking to several baristas and leafing through Mathew Tekulsky’s “Making Your Own Gourment Coffee Drinks” I devised my own recipe for a blended iced mocha. While I opted for double-brewed coffee as my base, I could have instead used multiple shots of espresso; with espresso I would have needed about four shots per glass. For an extra creamy and decadent drink I could have also included a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. Note that without the ice cream this coffee contains roughly 40 calories per eight ounce glass.
ICY MOCHALICIOUSNESS
Makes 5 glasses
3 cups cold water
6 tablespoons ground Italian or French roast coffee
1/4 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (I prefer U-Bet)
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups crushed ice
Brew the coffee. Pour into a shallow pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the milk, chocolate syrup and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar to the coffee and stir together. Pour the mixture into a blender, add the crushed ice and pulse several times until the drink is frothy. Serve immediately in tall glasses.