Summer Treat

Every summer since I have known Thomas, we have enjoyed the tradition of getting frappuccino's.  I actually have great memories of going out when our big boys were babies and getting a frappuccino late at night, before bedtimes mattered!  The problem with this tradition is that our boys are not babies anymore and they see something with whipped cream and chocolate and they want one.  We've tried to eliminate the "latte factor" from our budget and can't justify spending money on these for ourselves, let alone the whole family.  Not to mention the fact that I really don't want to encourage my kids to develop a caffeine habit at 5 and 6.
We found a recipe a couple of summers ago that is a knock-off of the Starbucks frappuccino.  Honestly it tastes just like the real deal.  The trick is that you must buy the real Starbucks coffee if you are going for authenticity.  You need the Italian Roast, and if you want to splurge you should get the whipped cream too.  One pound of coffee will get you more than 30 drinks (ours has lasted 2 years!)  We usually make one for each of us and 2 small ones for the boys.  If you are interested the recipe follows!

 

FRAPPUCCINO:
Makes 2 "Grande" drinks
Coffee:
1/2 cup Italian Roast coffee
4 cups water
3/4 cup sugar


Note: we brew 4 cups and save what we don't use in the fridge and use it within 1 week.


Brew a double-strength pot of Starbucks Italian Roast coffee using 1/2 cup coffee and 4 cups of water.


When the coffee is finished pour into a heat safe container (we use a Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup) and add 3/4 cup sugar.
Refrigerate until cold.


Frappuccino:
3/4 cup coffee mixture
1 cup milk
2 cups ice
whipped cream
chocolate syrup (or caramel)


MOCHA:
3 tablespoons Hershey's syrup
CARAMEL:
3 tablespoons caramel topping


Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.  Top with whipped cream and additional syrup.  Enjoy!