Copycat Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino

I have always been obsessed with matcha powder. Its dark and beautiful green hue and its fragrant aroma put me into a happy state.  Everyone also drinks  green tea because of its therapeutic and soothing powers.

Sometimes, nothing hits the spot quite like a coffee house drink piled high with fluffy whipped cream. Okay, I decided that today is another everything kind of Frappuccino, which is one of my favorite frozen drinks.  Green Tea Frappuccino.  A very interesting taste experience. It features the slight bitterness of green tea, complimented by the sweetness of milk and cream, blended with ice.  This drink is absolutely a cool treat for warm weather.

Same as when I’ve done my Java Chip Frappuccino, this Green Tea Frap recipe is a copycat, so it’s not the actual propriety recipe that is property of Starbucks. It’s only approximations (for the real thing, visit your local Starbucks).

This copycat recipe is easy, fits the bill, and can be made simply and in no time at all.  Forget paying $5 per drink, now you can make this delicious drink at home for a fraction of the cost.  I made this frappuccino, which tastes exactly like the Starbucks kind, for under $3 and in under 5 minutes.  That is less than the cost of a trip to Starbucks and it really isn’t time consuming.

If you blend milk, sugar, and some other ingredients of your own choosing and top with whipped cream, you can make your own original frappuccino.  The intoxicating sip caffeine and the sweet taste of sugar, all blended  together into a mixture of iced creamy goodness and designed to melt in your mouth.  Yep, there’s nothing quite like seductive taste of Starbucks Frappuccino on hot summer day. As for green tea frappuccino, make sure you use matcha powder, but if you don’t have matcha, you could also use regular green tea powder.

So, start your morning with a great homemade Green Tea Frappuccino!

Copycat Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of green tea matcha powder

2 teaspoons of sugar

1/3 ounce of vanilla syrup

1 cup of ice cubes

1 cup of milk

1 cup of green tea or vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1.       Fill blender with ice cube and add all ingredients except whipped cream.

2.       Blend until thick and still icy.

3.       Pour into tall glass, top with whipped cream.

Resep Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         1 sdt bubuk matcha green tea

·         2 sdt gula pasir

·         1/3 ons sirup vanilla

·         1 cup es batu

·         1 cup susu cair

·         1 cup es krim green tea atau vanila

Cara:

1.       Masukkan semua bahan ke dalam blender, kecuali whipped cream.

2.       Blender hingga es batu hancur dan menjadi minuman dengan es yang cukup halus.

3.       Tuang ke dalam gelas tinggi, hias dengan whipped dan bubuk green tea.

Egg White Chocolate Brownies

Do you happen to have a lot of egg whites on hand and do not know what to do with them?  I do! I often have egg whites leftover from bakes and they will be forgotten.  I didn’t want to bake meringues, macarons, or white cake, so I did some searching on the internet until I found this brownies recipe from Luna Café.

Who would’ve thought that brownies would be a way to use up egg whites?  I love brownies because  the chocolate flavor is so intense.  Well, what else could be more heavenly than a fudgy chocolate brownie? 

Enjoying brownies can be a guilty pleasure of many people and this can lead to ruin diets because mostly brownies contain a high amount of calories, fats, and sugar. This doesn’t always have to be this way.   This is a good recipe for people who love chocolate, but are trying not to gain weight.  Yes, these are low-fat brownies.  It’s made up of egg whites, which is not only low in fat and calories, but also rich in protein, which is excellent for those who want to build strong muscle.  These delicious, moist, rich chocolate brownies are the perfect sweet treat if you’re on diet or counting those calories.   You don’t have to miss out on a classic bake.  In 40 minutes, these gooey treats will be ready to eat.

I made these brownies last month and oh my goodness, they were absolutely divine!  I’m so pleased to say that these brownies were everything that was promised.  The tops were perfectly crisp and the insides were smooth and fudgy.  You would never know they are egg yolk-free.  They are as good as any other brownies I have ever made.   The perfect balance of fudgy texture and crispy edges.

The most important step in this recipe is to beat the egg whites with the sugar and cocoa powder for a full five minutes.   And of course, good quality chocolate is a must.  The higher quality chocolates always tastes best.  All dark chocolate for just eating plain is not created equal either.  The more expensive, the better the result.

Egg White Brownies (adapted from Luna Café)

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         ¾ cup (12 tablespoon) unsalted butter

·         175 gr bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

·         1 tsp instant espresso powder

·         ½ tsp fine sea salt

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         4 large egg whites

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line an 8x8inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the edges.

2.       In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter (or you can use a saucepan and set over low heat.  Remove and stir in chopped chocolate until melted, then stir in vanilla, espresso powder, and salt.  Cool until lukewarm to the touch.

3.       In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and cocoa powder.  Mix to combine.  With the mixer running, add 4 egg whites.  Mix in medium speed for a full 5 minutes, until the mixture is somewhat thickened, scraping the side of the bowl a few times in the process.

4.       Add the lukewarm butter-chocolate mixture and incorporate.  Add the flour and mix on slow speed until incorporated and then for 1 additional minute.

5.       Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan and bake for around 40 minutes (depends on your oven, mine was done in 35 minutes) or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean with no batter. If you like firmer and drier brownies, bake for a few minutes longer. It’s better to underbake than to overbake.

6.       Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.  For best result, refrigerate brownies a few hours or overnight before serving.

Resep Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         ¾ cup (12 sdm) mentega tawar

·         175 gr bittersweet chocolate, cincang kasar

·         2 sdt ekstrak vanilla

·         1 sdt kopi instant

·         ½ sdt garam halus

·         1 ½ cups gula pasir

·         ¼ cup coklat bubuk

·         4 putih telur

·         1 cup tepung terigu serbaguna

Cara:

1.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 350 derajat F (175 derajat C).  Siapkan loyang ukuran 8x8 inch yang telah dialasi dengan kertas roti atau aluminum foil.  Olesi dengan minyak, sisihkan.

2.       Masukkan mentega  ke dalam mangkuk.  Panaskan dengan menggunakan microwave.  Atau bisa juga dengan cara memanaskan di atas kompor dengan api kecil. Angkat, tambahkan  coklat cincang dan aduk sampai coklat meleleh.  Tambahkan vanilla, coklat bubuk, garam.  Aduk rata dan biarkan hangat.

3.       Dalam mangkuk mikser, campurkan gula pasir dan coklat bubuk.  Kocok hingga bercampur. Tambahkan telur satu per satu sampai terus dikocok dengan kecepatan sedang selama 5 menit sampai adonan mengental.

4.       Tambahkan adonan coklat-mentega dan kocok hingga bercampur.  Tambahkan tepung terigu dan kocok dengan kecepatan rendah sampai bercampur, kemudian kocok lagi selama 1 menit.

5.       Tuang setengah adonan ke dalam loyang.  Panggang selama 30-40 menit (tergantung oven masing-masing)  dan lakukan tes tusuk.  Prose pemanggangan selesai jika pada tes tusuk hampir tidak ada lagi adonan yang menempel.  Jika ingin brownies yang lebih padat dan kering, tambah waktu pemanggangan selama 5-10 menit. Biarkan dingin sebelum dipotong. 

6.       Untuk hasil terbaik, dinginkan brownies selama beberapa jam atau semalam sebelum disajikan.

Copycat Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino

I love Starbucks Frapps, no, I’m addicted to them.

Starbucks is a fabulous thing for coffee lovers and every now and then I’ll treat myself a cup of Frappuccino.  Since I’m addicted to Frappuccinos, so I’ve been searching for ways to make similar drinks at home to feel like I’m at my own personal coffee house.  

So far I’ve done a Java Chip Frap, Caramel Frap, Double Chocolate Chip Frap, Green Tea Frap, Vanilla Bean Frap, and Cotton Candy Frap that are pretty good in taste when compared to the real thing.  It saved me a trip to Starbucks and about $5 since I have all the ingredients at hand.

I use a copycat recipe, so it’s not the actual propriety recipe that is property of Starbucks. It’s only approximations (for the real thing, visit your local Starbucks).  It’s quite easy to make and is actually really close to Starbucks coffee.  To make it creamy, you could add some milk or cream (unless you just want a pure coffee drink).  In our house, we add milk or even a touch of vanilla ice cream, depending on what we have.  My daughter loved it (as suspected).  We enjoyed these out on the terrace as we watched the sun set.

Copycat Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         1 ½ cups of ice cube

·         ¼ cup of Starbucks coffee or double-strength freshly brewed dark roast coffee, cooled

·         ½ cup milk

·         3 tbsp chocolate chips

·         3 tbsp Hershey’s chocolate syrup

·         Whipped cream (optional)

·         Chocolate syrup for drizzle (optional)

Directions:

1.       Fill blender with ice cube and add all ingredients except whipped cream.

2.       Blend until thick and still icy.

3.       Pour into tall glass, top with whipped cream and drizzle chocolate syrup over the whipped cream.

Resep Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan

Bahan:

·         1 ½ cups es batu

·         ¼ cup kopi Starbucks atau espresso dingin

·         ½ cup susu

·         3 sdm chocolate chips

·         3 sdm sirup coklat Hershey’s

·         Whipped cream (optional)

·         Sirup coklat untuk hiasan (optional)

Cara:

1.       Masukkan semua bahan ke dalam blender, kecuali whipped cream.

2.       Blender hingga es batu hancur dan menjadi minuman dengan es yang cukup halus.

3.       Tuang ke dalam gelas tinggi, hias dengan whipped cream dan sirup coklat.

Rocky Road Fudge

I’ve always been afraid of making fudge.  It seemed intimidating to me, but this fudge was so easy that I’m going to put it on my holiday candy list from now on. It tasted great, wonderfully rich, and creamy.  Everything that fudge should be.

I know that for many, fudge is a treat usually indulged in during the holiday. There are many methods for making fudge, but I’m fond of the classic condensed milk version.   It’s straightforward and can be assembled in just a few minutes of stirring on the stovetop.

I think every girl loves chocolate, and nothing is better than chocolate with filling.  For the chocolate lovers, the fudge fanatic, and the insatiable sweet-tooth…..here’s one that will keep you all happy J Rocky Road Fudge!

Rocky road is hands down one of my favorite ice cream flavors.  Rocky road fudge is a delicious mixture of chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, marshmallows, and nuts (either walnuts, cashew, hazelnut, or almond). It’s easy to make and perfect to bring to all of your holiday parties.

There are so many variations, you can add nuts, dried fruit, and biscuits.  It’s really up to you, but below you will find the recipe that I use which is really easy and tasty.  Well, sometimes the simplest recipes yield the richest results. 

This fudge is great. It’s so easy to make that I can make it under 10 minutes. No fuss fudge, that’s what I’m talking about.  Just make sure that you use a good quality chocolate chips, as the cheaper store brands are just not good.  I prefer  Ghirardelli, Hersheys, or Cadbury. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for two hours while it cools in the fridge.  Chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts  ~ yum!

Rocky Road Fudge

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

·         1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

·         ½  cup nuts, chopped

·         1 cup mini marshmallows

·         2 tbsp unsalted butter

·         ½  tsp salt

Directions:

1.       Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan by with nonstick cooking spray and lay the bottom with parchment paper.

2.       In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt.  Turn the heat on to the lowest setting and melt the ingredients together while continuously stirring.  Heat and stir until the mixture is completely smooth.

3.       Fold in the chopped nuts and marshmallows and spread it evenly in the prepared baking pan.

4.       Refrigerate until set and cut into desired size bars.

Resep Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

·         1 (14 oz) kaleng susu kental manis

·         ½  cup kacang-kacangan sesuai selera, cincang kasar

·         1 cup mini marshmallows

·         2 sdm mentega tawar

·         ½  sdt garam

Cara:

1.       Siapkan loyang ukuran 8x8 inch, semprot dengan cooking spray atau oles dengan , mentega.  Alasi dengan kertas roti.

2.       Dalam panci kecil, campur chocolate chips, susu kental manis, dan garam.  Panaskan dengan api kecil sambil terus diaduk sampai coklat meleleh (bisa juga dengan menggunakan microwave). 

3.       Tambahkan kacang-kacangan cincang dan marshmallows.  Tuang ke dalam Loyang dan ratakan.

4.       Masukkan ke dalam freezer  sampai mengeras dan potong sesuai selera.  Simpan di dalam lemari pendingin.