LATTE GUIDE.
Oh hey friends - time to chat coffee and lattes!
I’m gonna hook you up with my fave latte recipes today! We will start with the morning cup, and then hit up the mid-day iced latte ya gotttta have.
First, you’re gonna need “the good ice” - aka nugget ice! You can do a Chick-Fil-A or Sonic drive through for this and buy a bag, or there are two different (GE version and NewAir version) countertop machines I’ve used! Both work well, but eventually they just kinda quit, they def don’t last forever. I think it’s just the way it goes with countertop ice appliances, honestly.
My most prized appliance is for sure the undercounter installed machine we have now (Scotsman is the way to go!) so I have all the soft, crunchy ice I could ever want now.
Think I’m nuts? Go get a bag and then tell me I’m wrong.
LATTE LIFE.
So, I go to bed dreaming about my morning latte. I KNOW I am not alone in this! A few years ago I got my first espresso maker - a Breville Barista Pro. It worked BEAUTIFULLY for a newbie who wanted really good lattes, with perfectly steamed milk. I used this thing multiple times a day, and you know that if you’ve ever come to my house - because I’ll always offer to make you a latte haha!
Last year, I upgraded to the Breville Oracle Touch because I was truly using the machine so much, and making multiple drinks a day, for so many people. With the Oracle Touch, I can brew a shot and steam milk at the same time, which is nice when you’re making a bunch of drinks. It also is super customizable and saves all your fave drink settings, and the milk steamer does the work for you - you just pop the milk under the wand and forget about it.
MAKING IT DELISH.
Okay so if you are looking for a healthy latte recipe, look elsewhere. (Okay fine, blend up a can of whole coconut milk and a little maple syrup. It’s REAL good!)
So, this is how I make my latte every morning. I LOVE LOVE these huge Yeti or the Stanley Camp mugs, they keep your drink warm for hours. (Bonus if you fill it with hot water while you brew your drink to get it nice and hot)
Then, I add a little bit of these Pink House Alchemy house-made syrups to the bottom of the mug, and I brew the espresso shot right into the mug. I am obsessed with the phDelight - it’s vanilla, cinnamon, and honey. Also big fan of the vanilla, hazelnut and the caramel - but really - they are all good! My other, and more current fave is the Macadamia Nut, Coconut, and Vanilla syrups from a Hawaiian company called Pono Potions! I literally cannot get enough of the Macnut one ommmmg.
My fave coffee to use is this Irving Farms Highline Light Roast Organic one. You can choose what grind you want! I order whole-bean since my espresso maker grinds it for me. Another fave is this blend Chris and I fell in love with when we were in Maui last year - Akamai Maui Mokka!
While the espresso shot (I always do a double shot) is going, steam your milk! Use whole milk. The end. Don’t bother with any other milk. Raw milk from A2A2 cows is ideal, for sure. The benefits are endless!!! If you can’t find raw, grab a grassfed, hormone-free organic one! I like Maple Hill Farms and Alexandre Family Farms.
Pour your steamed milk into your mug with the espresso shots, and add a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top! Stir it up and take that first sweet, sweet, sweeeet sip.
Now, let’s make an iced latte with some maple cold foam on top, k?
Fill up one of these Yeti tumblers with your nugget ice, then pour your milk over top about 2/3 full.
Brew your espresso shot over your syrup or a little sugar, give it a stir, and then pour over the ice and milk.
NOW, this is where it gets reallllll good. Grab this frother machine, and fill it to the first line with some heavy cream and a splash of maple syrup, and a teeny pinch of pink salt. Turn it on the cold frother setting, then when it’s finished pour it over your latte! Add your dash of cinnamon and be blessed.
One of my newest daily coffee loves is Stok Iced coffee. The green one. IT JUST HITTSSSSS. I fill up one of these cute anthro juice cups or a Mandate Freedom cup with ice, add my syrup (PonoPotions Coconut is the current one I am grabbing most), the Stok, and then a decent blob of heavy cream. Nothingggg tastes as delish as this in a mid-day slump, I swear. For on the go iced coffees and drinks - grab these cute rounded cups with the flat lids!
