Icy Coffee Drink

One thing I miss about not eating sugar is going to Starbuck's and getting a nice cold Mocha Frappuccino with a shot of mint syrup on a hot summer day. I looked it up and a "grande" (medium) size has 61 carbs. It must contain a lot of sugar.

So I whipped up one myself in my blender with no sugar and it was only 1 carb. Tastes just about the same...

For the record, Starbuck's uses milk, and I use heavy cream. Milk has more carbs and less fat, cream has more fat and less carbs. Your choice.

For sweetener suggestions, see Sweetening Cold Drinks with Stevia and Sweetening Cold Drinks with Simple Syrup.

makes 2 servings

1 tray ice cubes
1 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk (or coconut milk, if you prefer)
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
sweetener to taste

1. Place the ice cubes in a plastic bag or clean cotton towel and hit them with a mallet or heavy pan until they are crushed. The ice cubes must be crushed before you put them in the blender or you will have chunks of ice in your shake. After you crush them, place them in the blender.
2. Add the cream, coffee granules, cocoa powder, and peppermint extract, and blend for about 15 seconds. if the mixture is too thick, add a little water.
3. Taste and add sweetener to desired sweetness.
4. Pour into tall glasses and serve. Store any leftovers in the freezer.

OTHER FLAVORS

You could, of course, omit the cocoa powder and peppermint extract and add whatever other flavors you like. You may need to use a larger amount of different flavors as they are not as strong as peppermint extract.