Kiosk Coffee at Home, Part Two

The first part, published in Becky Holm's Douglas County News, can be seen a few posts back if you click on the column to the left. 

GOOD FOOD CHEAP

Kiosk Coffee at Home, Part Two by Larisa Sparrowhawk, localvorefresh@aol.com

Last week we tried several blended coffee drinks using frozen bananas, cream and coconut cream. A reader suggested I try yogurt, so I fiddled with various combinations but unfortunately was not pleased with them. It takes a LOT of additives to sweeten and thicken a drink blended with yogurt to rival $4.00 coffee confections. One and a half frozen very ripe bananas per tall blended drink provide a lot of sweetness and creaminess for only 120 calories, eliminating or nearly eliminating the need for any additional cream or sweetener.

Today we will try both hot and cold drinks.

When I was in college in the 80's, I had a roommate who had visited Italy. When everyone else was drinking powdered Lipton ice tea mix, she and I felt soave, indeed drinking strong coffee on ice.

Italian Vanilla Iced Coffee
Stir 1 tsp. instant expresso, 1/4 tsp. vanilla and 2 tsp. brown sugar per two cups of strong hot coffee. Refrigerate. Pour over ice cubes, preferably made of coffee. Stir in half and half if desired.
Black Forest Coffee
Stir 1 tsp. chocolate coffee syrup and 2-3 tbsp. black cherry juice concentrate (available in the natural food section of Sherm's or at natural food stores) into a mug of strong, hot coffee. Stir in 2-3 tbsp. half and half or float 2-3 tbsp. cream from the top of a can of coconut milk on top of the coffee.

Cafe' Mexicano
Stir 1 tsp. chocolate coffee syrup, 1/4 tsp. brandy extract and a shot of Tabasco into a mug of strong, hot coffee. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Middle Eastern Coffee, Iced or Hot
Mix 1/4 tsp. each cinnamon and cardamom per 2 scoops of coffee grounds before brewing. Serve coffee hot with honey if desired, or refrigerate and pour over ice.

Middle Eastern Blended Coffee
Blend 2 cups of the above refrigerated coffee with 3 frozen overripe bananas and 2-4 tbsp. of cream from the top of a can of coconut milk. Serves two.

Kiosk Coffee At Home

Kiosk Coffee At Home
This will be a two part series in Becky Holm's Douglas County News

When I moved to Oregon I was charmed by all the cute, brightly colored little coffee houses.  I'd never seen one before.  Sure, Virginia had Starbucks, but they were just more stores in strip shopping malls.  And I rarely got out of my car to go into one because I could never escape without spending at least $4.00 - or $20 if I happened to be with my daughter.  But I had to try out coffees from cute little red and yellow buildings and ones that looked like windmills! 

My wallet is glad I got over that tempation quickly... and so are my heart and my waistline.  Those drinks have way more caffeine and and sugar than anyone needs to consume in ten days, much less in ten minutes.

I recently read an article comparing coffee drinks at various restaurants from the authors of "Eat This, Not That!"  It was no surprise to me that many blended coffee drinks have 600 calories and at least 90 grams of sugar, but they even found drinks containing 1210 calories and 240 grams of sugar!  Can you imagine yourself sitting down to eat a dozen twinkies? 

Keep in mind that a human liver is designed to process no more than 25 grams of sugar at a time and that sugars in excess are turned into triglycerides.  High triglycerides are not only a better predictor of heart attacks than high cholesterol, but are also of diabetes and overweight in general. 

Becky Holm of Douglas County News and I thought it was time for a couple articles about healthier, cheaper blended coffee drinks at home.

Do not use non-dairy creamers, which include hydrogenated oils and corn starch.  Also avoid nonfat dry milk, which contains oxygenated cholesterol (the dangerous kind). 

These drinks are really quick to make if you have pre-chilled strong coffee.  Make a pot of brewed coffee double strength or save leftover coffee and stir in 1 tsp. good quality instant coffee or expresso for every two cups while the coffee is still hot.  You can also pour some into ice cube trays, pop them out and put them in plastic feezer bags.  Some of the creamiest and sweetest  drinks also require pre-frozen over-ripe banana chunks.  If you like cinnamon, you can add 1 tsp. cinnamon to enough coffee grounds for a pot before brewing; this also makes delicious hot coffee.

All the recipes make two large drinks.  A high speed commercial blender puts a nice froth on top of the drinks without whipping cream. 

Caramel Frappe - This one tastes very much like a coffee house confection.  It is too sweet for me, but others love it.  For myself, I just omit the sugar.  Blend at high speed:
2 c. chilled, strong coffee
3 large frozen bananas, in chunks
2 heaping tbsp. cream from the top of a full-fat coconut milk can (or whipping cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. brown sugar, raw sugar or honey

Gingerbread Shake - blend at high speed:
2 c. chilled, strong coffee
2 tsp. ginger flavored coffee syrup
2 frozen bananas, in chunks
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 c. half and half, if desired

Blended Cappuccino or Mochaccino - blend at high speed: 
2 c. chilled, strong coffee
5 coffee ice cubes
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. 2% milk
2 tsp. honey if desired
1-2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder if desired
a little orange zest if desired

More next week!