I came to coffee a bit later in life compared to most coffee drinkers. In my early 20s I had a (probably unnecessary) fear of becoming addicted to coffee. I used to say that I didn't want to depend on anything to wake up in the morning. I was also wary not to form an expensive habit, with café drink prices at around $6-7 dollars for more complicated beverages. It was when I moved to Bangkok for culinary school that I started to enjoy the occasional coffee drink. Prices were lower than in the US (around $3 a pop), plus I needed a pick-me-up for the long days and my fear of a coffee addiction had dissipated with maturity... or maybe I just didn't care anymore? Either way, I started enjoying socializing with friends at coffee shops and enjoying fancy coffee drinks.
More recently I've been on a mission to make coffee drinks at home that are comparable to what I get from my favorite barista. This recipe is my first successful attempt at a really delicious coffee drink at home. I'm a huge fan of how bitter dark chocolate pairs with the toasty bitter flavors of sesame seeds, so adding tahini to a mocha was a very exciting ah-ha moment in my life. The tahini adds extra richness to the drink, and a bit of body. It's a mocha so it's a bit sweet, so perhaps it more of a treat than a daily drink. But I'll leave that up to you. I hope you enjoy!
Special Equipment
This recipe is prepared in a personal blender (alla Magic Bullet or Nutribullet) which makes for a quick clean up, however if you have a blender you love, use that. The coffee is prepared in a mocha pot, but if you have a fancy espresso machine that would be even better.
Sesame Mocha Frappe Recipe
Serves 1
2 shots of espresso or strong black coffee prepared in a mocha pot, cooled to room temp or refrigerated
3 ounces milk of choice (I use coconut milk)
1 teaspoon homemade chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon tahini
ice to fill the cup
pinch of salt
liquid sweetener to taste
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
"Syrup" is used loosely here, as the version I make is too thick to pour. The point of it is to mix the powdered cacao with a liquid so that it more easily incorporates into beverages than in the powder form.
1/2 cup honey or other liquid sweetener of choice
2T - 1/3 cup cacao powder
To prepare this very simple mixture, add your liquid sweetener into a glass jar and spoon in the cacao powder, stir to incorporate. You can do this a tablespoon at a time, paying attention to the change in viscosity with every spoonful and stopping before it becomes too thick, if you'd prefer a pourable consistency. Store in the sealed jar for months.
Frappé Method
To your blender, add the coffee, milk, tahini and chocolate syrup and pinch of salt. Blend until fairly smooth.
Fill the blender with as much ice as will fit in the cup (if using a personal blender), still allowing the base/blade to be tightly secured. If using a full sized blender, add about 1 cup of ice. Blend again until all ice is broken up. Taste for sweetness and adjust with more chocolate syrup or liquid sweetener.
Enjoy!
BONUS METHOD: Hot Sesame Mocha
The first time I tried this coffee + tahini combination, I used a hot application and it was also quite delicious. The ingredients are the same, obviously minus the ice. The method is as follows:
To your favorite coffee cup, add your chocolate syrup and tahini and a big pinch of salt. Prepare your coffee using your favorite method. Warm your milk of choice in a saucepan on the stove, using medium-low heat, until steaming. Add your hot milk and hot coffee into your cup and stir until the tahini and chocolate syrup have dissolved. Adjust sweetener and enjoy!
