FRANKLY CAFÉ “INTERSMASHIONAL” COFFEE MIX
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – Best Of The Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 268). [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]
This unique product, by its original identity, is found on the grocer’s shelves in red, white and blue cans. At home, I can closely imitate this for half as much as it costs me at the store. Our friends in Europe have enjoyed this “copy-cat” since they can’t always find American brand-name products.
FRANKLY CAFÉ [VANILLA COFFEE] MIX
INGREDIENTS:
1 packet artificial sweetener or 1 tablespoon sugar
3 ¾-ounce package instant vanilla pudding powder (Jell-O brand preferred)
1 ½ cups non-dairy creamer powder
¾ cup instant coffee granules (I like to use Maxwell House)
INSTRUCTIONS:
You must use a blender to do this imitation properly. Put all the ingredients in the blender and use an on/off agitation on high-speed until thoroughly blended. Turn off once or twice to stir the mixture away from the blades and scrape down the sides of the container. Resume blending until you can see the color is even and delicately brown. This recipe makes 2 cups of coffee mix, which makes about 48 servings. Store in a tightly-covered container at room temperature for up to 90 days.
To use the mix: place 2 rounded teaspoons of mix in a cup and stir in 7 ounces of boiling water.
To make a smaller quantity, blend thoroughly on high-speed: ½ cup non-dairy creamer powder, ¼ cup packaged instant vanilla pudding powder, ¼ cup Maxwell House instant coffee granules and 1 teaspoon sugar (or artificial sweetener equivalent.) Makes 2/3 cup mix.
3 VARIATIONS:
BAVARIAN MINT COFFEE MIX – prepare the Frankly Café Mix (above), adding 1 roll of peppermint Lifesavers that has been crushed to a fine powder, continuing as recipe otherwise directs.
IRISH CREME COFFEE MIX – prepare the Frankly Café Mix (above), adding 2 packets (1-serving size each) Carnation brand, hot cocoa mix and continue as recipe otherwise directs. When using the mix (as directed above), also add ½ teaspoon brandy or rum flavoring.
SWITCH MOCHA COFFEE MIX – prepare the Frankly Café Mix (above), using milk chocolate pudding powder instead of the vanilla-flavored and continuing as recipe otherwise directs.
See also…
