COFFEE KLATCH

Café au Lait … OLE’!

Take a spin on a classic French coffee drink, give it a south of the border twist, and add a little chocolate. Café au Lait is French for “coffee with milk.” Generally this is a straight 1:1 coffee-to-steamed-milk recipe. (Latte’s are 1:2.)

This is a great alternative to making lattes at home if you do not have or want to use espresso. NOTE: Espresso, which is an expressed coffee, is pronounced ESS-PRESS-OH.

Ingredients

2 cups bold, strong coffee

2 cups milk mixture (I use a blend of lowfat milk, farmer’s chocolate milk and oat milk)

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or your mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and/or clove)

1 cinnamon stick for flavoring the milk

2 cinnamon sticks for garnish

Dash cayenne if desired (a “dash” = less than 1/8 teaspoon – and this should be measured away from your other ingredients.)

Link To Easy Conversion Chart

method servings 1

1. The point of this luxurious drink is the experience, not just the beverage.

2. While brewing the coffee:

3. Warm the milk mixture with spices and a cinnamon stick, in a small pot on med-low heat.

4. Stir often for 7-10 minutes, until it’s fully steaming, but not scalded or boiling.

5. Remove spiced milk from the heat, transport into a mixer or deep bowl. You can use a hand-held milk steamer like this. Using an immersion blender works exceptionally well.

6. Blend low to medium-low for at least five minutes, until a supple but firm foam has developed. The faint, beautiful hue is a knockout.

7. Pour coffee into two cups, halfway

8. Carefully tablespoon on top the layer of hot, steamy milk. Allow for some bubbles to sit on top, but this is not cappuccino to be piled high with dense foam.

9. Serve with cinnamon sticks, and the power of calmness in a cup.

Editor’s note: — Origins of Coffee • Despite widespread myths and misconceptions about the origins of coffee, the truth lies on the Ethiopian Plateau. But it was the goats, not the ancestors, who get the credit. The yeomen knew that when the goats ate those red beans, the herd soon became “frisky.” And who doesn’t want that? Eventually, the method was developed, from the stubborn little bean to the steaming mug now craved the world over.

For the best little goat-body-slam vid-clip … and tons of REAL info on coffee, LEARN