Homemade Mocha Coconut Iced Coffees.

July 29, 2011

Let me tell you something.

When I was a freshman in college, I once ventured to Starbucks. This wasn’t a frequent happening because 1. I didn’t like coffee whatsoever except when loaded with tons of crap and heavy cream… sort of like now, and 2. there wasn’t a Starbucks on campus. Clearly I went to college in the stone age.

One night my friends and I somehow hitched a ride (not literally, but you know) to Starbucks and that’s when I saw it on the menu: mocha coconut frappuccino. [um, how is "frappuccino" not recognized by spell check? for serious? spell check needs a makeover... gotta get with the times.]

I.almost.died.

Two of my FAVORITE ingredients combined?! Who cares if I didn’t like coffee – at any rate I was ordering white chocolate mocha frapps once or twice a year, drinking half and trashing them. With mocha coconut I would FOR SURE finish it. Holy dreamboat.

I ordered one.

I sipped.

I almost fainted.

I slurped it to the bottom.

I almost wet myself from excitement.

I literally almost wet myself from drinking 48 ounces of diuretics and sugar.

I became poor.

[I should also mention that this was the same year I bought a $98 sparkly black belt with my dad's credit card. Uhh... that turned out about as good as you are envisioning. Because, you know, it's not like HE WAS PAYING FOR MY EDUCATION OR ANYTHING. Not sure why I didn't think "belt" would show up on the Express monthly statement, but when it did... let's just say that I'm still suffering hearing loss from the shouts through my red Nokia phone.]

Starbucks became my new favorite place. But it wasn’t like I was there all the time. It wasn’t on campus + I didn’t have a car + I still didn’t love coffee + coffee made (and still makes) me have humongous anxiety/buzz/jitters issues. I feel like a freak on drugs.

Until one day I walked in and… it was off the menu.

What the what?! I couldn’t believe my own eyes because I figured it HAD to be a popular drink. Seriously, I was jacked. If I had any semblance of a backbone, I may have called and complained. Instead I just didn’t go to Starbucks for like six years and developed a nasty rice krispy treat addiction. Not even joking. These babies were the size of my head.

Imagine my delight when my cousin told me last week that she had a mocha coconut frappucinno! YES. My prayers had been answered. Now… I just needed to figure out how I could add $6.00 to my daily food budget and an extra 800 calories.

Or… just make my own.

I’m sure the regular mocha coconuts have coconut syrup in them, so this isn’t quite as coconutty, but I can promise that is gets 98% close. The best part? COCONUT MILK WHIPPED CREAM. I knew that Ashley had made this before and when I texted her in a frenzy from the grocery store, she assured me it would work. And that it did.

We have a layer of chocolate fudge, a pour of caffeine, a healthy glug of coconut milk, a blob of coconut whipped cream, freshly toasted coconut and a chocolate fudge drizzle. Oh mylanta.

Just make sure you use a deliciously flavored coffee, such as fudge brownie or macaroon to heighten your experience. And don’t use something wacky like strawberry. Because then it will just taste… weird.

Homemade Mocha Coconut Iced Coffees

[copied from Starbucks using my iced mocha recipe + ashley's coconut whipped cream]

makes 1 serving

5 ounces brewed coffee, cold

1/2 cup coconut milk [your choice: lite, full-fat, or the refrigerated kind]

3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons toasted coconut

1 can COLD full-fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Brew coffee and let cool – this can work with leftover morning coffee, or I suggest making some at night and once it cools, putting it in the fridge overnight. However you want to do it, as long as you have cold coffee, you are set! I still have not tried cold brewed coffee but I know I need to.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or using a bowl and an electric hand mixer), add cold coconut milk and sugar. Beat until peaks form and you have the consistency of whipped cream – about 6 minutes. Mine did not get quite as thick as regular whipped cream and was still a bit runny – but I have no patience. It was still delicious.

Fill the bottom of your glass with 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup, then add ice cubes. Pour in coffee, then coconut milk, then vanilla, then sugar and mix well with a spoon. Add in some toasted coconut if you wish.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of whipped coconut cream on top and another tablespoon or 2 of chocolate syrup. Drink up!