Sweet, creamy and luscious lattes make the ordinary a little more fun. Whether purchased from your favorite coffee shop or a homemade creation they make the day special.
What’s not to love about a cup of coffee in the morning? Of course the picture below was pre-COVID when I still did things like paint my nails and go places. Those were the days….
Sunday is my once-a-week latte treat day. This started years ago when we began grocery shopping early Sunday morning. The best time to go to avoid crowds. While we shopped I enjoyed a delicious Starbucks latte. My go-to orders were Cinnamon Dolce, Mocha and come December – my beloved Peppermint Mocha. *drool*
Fast forward and we are now up and awake before Starbucks opens and my homemade lattes were born. Now thanks to COVID wearing a mask and drinking lattes don’t mix. So I savor my morning treat at home before we shop.
To make my homemade latte requires a coffeemaker and a Frother to create some signature latte foam.
The basics:
Start with 8 ounces of strong black coffee; I add a little more coffee grounds than normal for a bold flavor.
Next is a total of 6 ounces of creamer or milk and flavorings to create a latte. This is where we get creative!
Coffee creamer, half & half or heavy cream: One tablespoon of whatever you prefer; needed to give the latte some thickness and help develop a good foam. I love the Chobani coffee creamers! If you aren’t a coffee creamer person either half & half or heavy cream will do nicely.
Flavored coffee syrup: I keep chocolate and French vanilla flavor Torani sugar-free syrup on hand. Depending on your latte you could use vanilla extract, maple syrup, chocolate syrup….
Stevia or another sweetener: I like a sweet dessert-y latte; but it all depends on how sweet you like your coffee drink. You may want more or less or maybe no added sweetener at all.
Almond milk: Once the creamer, syrup, and sweetener have been added pour enough almond milk into the measuring cup to equal a total of 6 ounces. I have also used skim milk.
Now the fun begins! Here is where the latte becomes your own creation.
Some fun varieties!
Chocolate mocha latte: Mocha coffee creamer, chocolate coffee syrup, 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
Hazelnut chocolate latte: Hazelnut coffee creamer, chocolate coffee syrup, and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
Pumpkin Spice latte: Pumpkin spice creamer, vanilla coffee syrup, 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin puree, a bit of pumpkin pie spice mix or extract or cinnamon with cinnamon sugar on top
Peppermint mocha latte: Peppermint mocha coffee creamer, chocolate coffee syrup, a tiny bit of peppermint extract and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
Once you have get your combination of milk and flavorings to your perfect blend it gets heated in the microwave for about 2 minutes. When the mixture is hot and starting to rise and get bubbly it is ready to froth.
I have a VAVA and a Bean Envy frother and both do the job nicely. Before I had either I used a small whisk. Lots of foam or not it will still be delicious.
Depending upon your variety you can finish with cinnamon sugar and chocolate sprinkles. Then savor every sip and enjoy!
Vanilla Latte
Ingredients
- 8 ounces hot, strong coffee
- 1 Tbsp vanilla coffee creamer
- 1 Tbsp vanilla coffee syrup
- 1 packet stevia or sweetener of your choice
- almond milk
Instructions
- In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, stir together the coffee creamer, syrup, and sweetener.
- Add enough almond milk to the mixture for a total of 6 ounces in the measuring cup. Stir until well mixed.
- Heat the mixture in the microwave for about 2 minutes until hot and starting to bubble. Watch closely so it doesn't overflow the measuring cup
- Using a frother, froth the milk until really foamy.
- Pour the coffee into cup and add frothed milk; spooning the foam on top. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
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