In the cool months of winter nothing says warm and cozy to me like a latte. Once upon a time the latte was something I treated myself to from a coffee shop but recently has become my go to favourite hot, frothy drink that I indulge in at home, generally once a day! Making a latte at home is actually pretty simple and can be done without an espresso machine.
When my husband and I were on a trip to Italy a couple of years ago I got hooked on the cappuccino’s there. They are similar to lattes, I’ll explain.
A latte is a hot coffee drink that is made with espresso, steamed milk and milk foam.
A cappuccino is similar to a latte except that is uses a higher volume of foamed milk to steamed milk.
A Cafe au lait is generally made with warm steamed milk added to regular coffee (some coffee shops will use espresso) and this drink has no foam.
 Creamy Latte Coffee Poster |  Coffee Mug T-shirts |  Stacking Coffee Cups Postage Stamp |
When we got home from our Italy trip I tried the cappuccino’s from some of the local coffee shops here but found them to be too strong for my liking. Then I tried the latte’s and found them much smoother and enjoyable.
If you order an espresso at a coffee shop it will likely be much stronger because of the machine they use to produce it. The espresso machine takes water that is nearly boiling and then creates a lot of pressure in order to produce a strong beverage. My at home version is not as strong but it comes out just the strength that I like.
I brew good quality ground espresso that I grind using my coffee grinder. While the espresso is brewing I plug in my Starbucks milk frother to which I add low fat milk to. Then it’s just hit the power button and you can watch the milk begin to froth. I get my latte mug ready and pour the hot brewed espresso about 3/4 full. Then it’s time to pour in some of the milk from the frother and spoon the milk froth it’s created onto to the top to cover the surface. I love the mounds of frothy milk and the fact that it keeps the espresso warm too! Sprinkle on a little cinnamon if you like, I do that sometimes but generally I like it plain.
Espresso has a lot less caffeine than a cup of regular coffee. Although there is some debate about it, many say it depends on your mug size, the brew time, type of grind, temperature and so on. Anyways I say, drink it if you like it just don’t go over board! That’s it, a simple but cozy drink perfect for a cold day!
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