How to Make a Frappe at Home
Nothing beats a cold frappe on a hot summer day, and here is the way to make a great frappe with minimal fuss:
1. Brew some coffee
Though brewing coffee can be a very subjective affair, as a rule of thumb 2.5 tbsp. of coffee are added to 4 ounces of water to brew 1 cup of coffee.
You can use either fresh coffee or instant coffee to make a frappe. Fresh coffee has more complex composition than instant coffee and is the better option, since it provides a sweeter and more varied bouquet than the instant coffee brew.
The stronger the brew it, the more your frappe will have that wonderful coffee taste.
If you’re not pressed for time, or you just don’t have a coffee machine and want to use fresh coffee as the base for your frappe, you can try making a cold brew coffee.
Using a ratio of 1 to 4 you add one cup of coarse ground coffee to a bowl, mix it with four cups of cold water, cover it, and let it infuse in the fridge overnight.
The next day, strain the brew and it’s ready to use. Keep in mind though, that this brew can be surprisingly strong. The great thing is that it will keep in the fridge for about a week after brewing. You can dilute it with water at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 for a normal dose, or just add half the usual amount to milk for a really creamy result.
2. Sweetening the brew
You can use any type of sweetener you want. Sugar or any other type of sweetener you use will dissolve faster if the coffee is still hot. If it’s a cold brew, some vigorous stirring will be in order.
3. Let it chill
Again, this really depends on how much of a hurry you’re in, since you could let your coffee cool down naturally and then chill overnight in the fridge. However, a popular option is to make coffee cubes. Pour your coffee into an ice tray and let it freeze. The advantage is that you won’t further dilute the coffee adding ice cubes; the ice cubes are coffee!
If you want to accelerate the cooling, you can spread your coffee on a wide tray or a skillet to where the greater surface area allows the coffee to cool faster (in 15 to 20 minutes).
You can compound on the last technique by placing the tray in the freezer, but beware spillage and bear in mind that your freezer will have to work extra hard as the coffee cools down. Also, other items might get a little warm in the process.
An efficient way to deal with this is to simply freezing the empty skillet before pouring the coffee into it – which means you won’t have to put it in the freezer to cool.
Making your frappe
Mix your coffee with milk in a ratio of 4:1, or, 80% coffee and 20% milk. You can substitute regular milk with any other type like almond milk or soya milk.
Ice
If you have opted for freezing your coffee, you won’t need to add any ice to your frappe. If not you can add ice cubes. Remember, the more ice you add, the more diluted your frappe will become.
Use a blender and mix it until the liquid is smooth, adding more ice if you desire a thicker frappe.
Pour the frappe into a tall glass, top it off with whipped cream, and you’ve made your frappe. Just add a straw and enjoy.
Variations
Pumpkin frappe
Particularly popular in autumn, just add a couple of extra ingredients to your classic frappe to make a pumpkin pie frappe. Using the previous frappe as a base, add:
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground pumpkin spice
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk from a carton
Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Hazelnut frappe
Those of you who love the sweet, woody taste of hazelnuts will be delighted with this variation. Just add 1/4cup of hazelnut syrup, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract to your classic frappe mix. Again, you can top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Chocolate frappe
If you’ve had a caffee viennoise, you know that chocolate and coffee go together brilliantly.
Mix 1/3 cup chocolate chips to your classic frappe mix. You can substitute regular milk with chocolate milk.
Add in 3 tbs. chocolate syrup and 1/8 tbs. vanilla extract. Mix it with the blender until smooth.
Vanilla frappe
If possible, start with vanilla flavoured coffee beans as a base for your frappe. Add a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream to your frappe mixture and blend. Add a few drops of vanilla extract for a really distinctive vanilla taste.
Experimenting aside, the better your base coffee the better your frappe can be. Try our top quality, organic coffees and the sky will be the limit for your homemade treats.