October 1, 2012

Nutella Instant Iced Coffee, aka Homemade Mocha Frappuccino


Hello all, I'm back!

It’s been a while, I know. I should probably start by apologizing for slipping away silently. Although, frankly, I had not meant to go missing for quite this long. But, in between trips, dragging along carry-alls, and a month away in the countryside, somehow my plans fell away, and the weeks vanished into weekends, and it was hopelessly impossible to find a quiet moment to catch my breath, or to catch up with you all here.

Finally, it's good to be back after the little hiatus. Really good.
So, I got back from this most amazing trip home (Kerala) two weeks ago. But, I've been a little under the weather, and what's more, my camera broke downeek!making it all the more challenging to shoot any recipe pictures. Well, I still don't have my regular camera, but thankfully, my dear, dear friend Shaily lend me hers to work on until I get mine fixed, phew!

Candidly, I’m very much in holiday mode, and slowly getting back to the swing of things. Quite often my thoughts drift to a million details of laid-back country charm — gentle breeze, rustling leaves, overcast skies and romance of raindrops; serene backwaters, long walks along the bay and carefree hours on the swing; and oh the most luxuriously late nights and late mornings with less work and more play, incredibly romantic weddings, and menus filled with utterly delicious things. Am I gushing? Perhaps. For, I’m caught up in a whirlwind of emotions.
On that note, I’m sharing few of my favorite snaps of the many beautiful memories and hauntingly blissful moments captured on this trip home, mainly our enthralling experience at this private property — Punnamada Resort — on the banks of Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha. Looking at these photos now just makes me want to go back there soon. 
And although I’m a little wistful it’s over, quiet moments like this has its own peculiar sweetness, I must say. Well, there’s all the time in the world to dream away over cups of tea and munchies, but for now, it’s back to routine and the business of day-to-day living. Yes, back to the regular swing of things.

Last few days of summer (hopefully), it’s still pretty sticky and hot. And so, here’s one last frosty deliciousness until summers next arrival. If you follow along on facebook or instagram, you may know that I’ve been sipping iced mocha lately. Decadent, cold brewed coffee with generous splashes of nutella, and just enough condensed milk to give it a light, creamy texture.
For those who get a kick from java, this’s a cooler and more sophisticated take on your regular cup of Joe. A super quick and really easy recipe for instant, frothy, frozen deliciousness that tastes like a coffeehouse treat. Call it hazelnut mocha frappuccino, or nutella iced coffee—what’s in a name, especially when it’s homemade, and tastes this freaking delicious!

And oh there’s bonus — you get to control the calories too.
As tasty as the combination of nutella, coffee, vanilla, milk, and condensed milk over ice sounds, it's actually a little tough to justify the calories—so sip away in moderation, for this is more of a refreshing dessert drink {calorific goodness!} and not recommended for regular sipping.

And while that’s the truth, mocha frappuccino is the perfect pick me up for an instant jolt of energy in the middle of the day. The combination of coffee and chocolate helps keep you alert, and elevates your mood. For more benefits of coffee, see this chart.
This recipe is highly adaptable. Use milk of your choice—non-diary, low fat, or whole. Same goes with the sweetener—or, skip it completely. Also, feel free to adjust measures to your preference. I like mine creamy, sweet, and without a hint of bitterness, and that’s how I make it.

If you are a slow sipper, and prefer robust flavor, coffee ice is the way to go. It keeps your drink stronger longer, without diluting the flavors. I used this adorable silicone coffee bean tray to make ice, but you can use your regular ice cube tray.
So here’s one last sip for warm summer afternoons, before the darkness creeps in all too soon, and light cashmere and warm sweaters become a seasonal routine. 
p.s. {recipe inspiration from here}
Nutella Instant Iced Coffee — Homemade Mocha Frappuccino

Ingredients
Serves 4
Prep 5 min

4 tablespoons nutella
2 cups chilled milk (I used low fat)
3 tablespoons condensed milk
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder (I used Nestle)
3 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
½ cup ice cubes
Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into glasses and dust lightly with ground coffee, if you like.

For an extra cold drink, pour iced coffee into glasses filled with more ice—ideally, coffee ice cubes for stronger coffee flavor, and leisurely sipping. To make coffee ice cubes, brew 1 ½ teaspoon coffee in 1 cup hot water, add sugar to taste. Freeze in ice-cube tray.
And now back to my dancing thoughts with old favorite titles, and another cup of tea. So, until next time, wishing you a lovely week filled with happiness and beauty.

{p.s.} see more photos from my recent trip home: here & here.

53 comments:

  1. Glad to know you didnt abandon this lovely blog completely, missy! I am a big big fan of starbucks frappe, so with your recipe I think they have lost their business as we shall go homemade..this looks utterly delicious!
    p/s: you should have popped by here too on your way back you know:-(

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    1. lol ..you are funny! and oh how I wish I could have stopped by, really. hope to make it soon x

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    2. About the rye flour, have you tried Carrefour in Doha? I heard they stock up wide range or organic stuff.

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  2. Super tempting clicks for an awesome drink

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  3. Delicious and inviting drink dear.
    Deepa

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  4. Hmm...the pictures are very nice ;) Also, I love castles!!

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    1. really? ..thank you, thank you hon, thanks for everything! ♥

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  5. Cant take my eyes from ur clicks,iced coffee looks fabulous and irresistible.

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  6. Super tempting and yummy iced coffee. Beautiful pictures too

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    1. thank you Jeyashri, the drink is really fab!

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  7. Lovely! Glad to see you back Nashi!

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  8. Good to see you back in action...
    It is always nice to take a little break, even if it gets little longer ;-)

    Beautiful clicks.. I am loving the ice cubes so much here.

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    Replies
    1. o yea, break's are so good ...what's difficult is to get back to the swing of things!

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  9. Beautiful pics. Glad you had a great time.

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  10. Welcome back...Missed you around...:)
    Nutella Iced coffee looks irresistible and gal pics are awesome...Loved those coffee bean trays...cute...

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    1. Hey Reshmi, missed you too sweetness! x

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  11. Welcome back... even I have entered blogging after a hiatus... Nice to just look at all your stunning pics... The frappe looks soo frothy and yummy :)

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  12. Welcome Back dear...Nutella iced coffee looks really refreshing n delicious...your pics n presentation is awesome as always...loved all your clicks!!

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  13. Love your photos! And o how I wish that darkness had not already began here... The light is going away so fast it is hard to imagine that soon very soon we will be in darkness yby 5 pm... O well, I can always just glance at your photos and feel back into summer again!

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    1. Lovely to hear from you Simone, thanks for popping in!

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  14. Welcome back...Am in love with your coffee...Lovely clicks...

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  15. Gorgeous pics..... looks tempting and yummy.., looks absolutely delicious.

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  16. OMG. Sounds so yummy Nashi!
    I also love my coffee. I froth the 1%milk before heating in microwave. Then heat for 35 seconds. Then pour in hot coffee, add the milk, then a squeeze of chocolate sauce or homemade ganache.
    Try it!
    Look for more recipes on letsmakemudpies.blogspot.com

    Teri:)

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    1. Hey Teri, loving the sound of your coffee -- thanks for sharing! :)

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  17. Delicious instant coffee. Love the addition of nutella, miss kerala very much.

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    1. yea, nutella make it "bliss" :) me too, missing home

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  18. Amazing photography as usual! And I'm loving this Frappuccino since I prefer cold coffee over hot any day, year round and this would be a perfect variation from my every day coffee.. So I definitely see myself making this today and everyday from now on :)

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    1. it's calorific deliciousness, so don't get too addicted ...:)

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  19. Hey, gorgeous pics...love this frappuccino..

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  20. Nutella in a drink?
    Brilliant!

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  21. Welcome back! And please don't apologize. I wouldn't, for a much needed downtime and that too in a beautiful place like Kerala :)

    Love the styling and hope you are feeling better, honey. xo

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    1. thanks Krian, feeling much better now but not completely recovered, yet

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  22. That is coffee definitely a refresher....considering the heat in our part of the world! Welcome back....I have admit, I have been a silent follower for the past many months ever since i stumbled upon ur nutella lava mug cake(Ginza, junkie book fame told me abt u)....and tried the recipe :-) Was away from bloggin for almost 9months....just for getting it out of my system....lol, i was addicted....tats y, never commented....but now, i m back and will be around...love your pictures and styling! and i must admit, i most connect with u for the place u live in now coz i spent almost my entire life in "u know which" country :-) I still come there very now n then...happy to meet a fellow blogger from my second home :) Ok, this is more of a mail, than a comment but one last questn, that is a really cool coffee bean ice tray...where did u get that from? (virgin stores???)

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    1. Lovely to hear from you mj! Ginza is a sweetheart, and I remember her telling me about you too :) Yep, I got that coffee bean tray from virgin stores a while back. So when you next coming to Doha? Would so love to meet you!

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  23. Gorgeous photos! That's a great drink for coffee and chocolate lovers!

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  24. I simply cannot wait to try this recipe. I just used the last bit of Nutella this afternoon. I'm going to make this as soon as I grab the new jar! Thanks for sharing your photos - I feel a bit relaxed by looking at your photos.. :)

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  25. Babes gorgeous pics...am sure the recipe rocking too!

    Am more keen on knowing what's the job you landed? When do you start?

    Too busy for blogging. Will get back next month.

    Lemme tweet this....

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  26. Simply irresistible.
    Keep on posting. Excellent photos.
    Thanks

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  27. Hi Nashira! This iced coffee looks amazing, specially for summer. But unfortunately I don't live in the US and I can't find vanilla essence here, could I use vanilla extract instead? Thank you for sharing your recipes :)

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A million thank you's for stopping by, taking the time to connect, and coming back to visit again. I genuinely appreciate each of your kind thoughts, lovely words, love and support. Happy, happy to hear from you, and hope to see you again!

♥ Nashi