I’m a Tea person through and through; Coffee, while good, has never hit the spot quite like Tea always has… But there’s one Season where my Coffee consumption outweighs Tea- and that’s Fall / Winter.
One notable thing about fall in particular is the overabundance of Pumpkin. Women in particular, though, tend to get a lot of flack when it comes to all things Pumpkin Spice… I never understood it, personally, but that might be because I’m biased af; I eagerly await the Autumn season because of everything from Pumpkin Soup, to Pumpkin Pie- and yes, even the completely ridiculous saturation of Pumpkin Spice.
I love Pumpkin and will consume anything pumpkin flavored regardless of the season. To me it’s such a delicious, versatile cooking ingredient that it’s easy to fall in love with. But what I really love? The ever eternal combination of Pumpkin and Coffee… And the best way to enjoy Pumpkin and Coffee is in Latte form.
Lattes have always been the one thing that I would happily drive miles to get; for the longest time I thought that you had to have all the fancy stuff to make them- like an espresso Machine, that little Milk Steamer thing, a Milk Frother, and all this other jazzy stuff that I neither have the money or space for in my tiny home. As a result, I never thought that I would have the luxury of a Latte in the comfort of my own home, immediately after waking.
I was wrong about that.Maybe it was the desire for Pumpkin Spice Lattes without anywhere to get them… Or it could have been the fact that fall in general had just begun- and Lattes have always been a thing for the Fall and Winter months for me. Either way, I’m not sure what exactly possessed me to look it up when I did… But last year I successfully learned how to make Lattes on my own- and wow I’ve never been so happy to be incorrect about something in my life.
In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that making Lattes at home is such a ridiculously simple thing. All it takes is a few minutes- and you really don’t need all that fancy stuff… Just some method of making coffee, and some method of introducing air to your milk (not including your Coffee and Milk (plus sugar if it suits you), of course!).
Since I discovered this I’ve pretty much had a Latte every morning upon waking. Hell, sometimes I’ll end up having 3 or 4 of them by the time the day is done with; Masala Chai Lattes, Green Tea Lattes, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, you name it and by now I’ve probably made it myself at one point or another. My favorite by far are the Rose and Lavender ones that I’ve made; it’s amazing how the addition of one small, extra flavor can change the entire taste and feeling that you get from a Latte.
I have no shame in admitting that I might have become a bit obsessed with them now that I know how truly easy it is to make even a simple one- and at this point I’m sure that my poor Husband is at his wit’s end with all the energy I’ve possessed… Especially after we switched to drinking Deathwish Coffee (and then subsequently purchased a 5 pound monthly delivery subscription from them- #noshame).
And of course, Fall’s done passed and Winter’s now here. Which means it’s Latte season in my house, of course. But this year I can’t have too much milk because of newfangled digestive issues… So I’ve had to get a little creative with my Lattes while keeping the milk to digestible levels.
Enter Califa Farms’ Dairy Free Almond Milk Creamer– discovered on complete accident while near tears in the Coffee Isle because I couldn’t use large quantities of Milk in my Coffee anymore (look, we all have our bad days and I’m not above admitting that occasionally mine include silent mental breakdowns in the middle of WalMart at 10 pm on a Sunday night).
Let me just get this out of the way right now: I friggin hate Almond “Milk”. It and I are not best friends by any means. Hell, we’re not even Frenemies. But this stuff? It’s a bit pricey (to me) but it’s friggin great. I love it. It’s thick, it’s creamy, and it tastes like I’ve died and gone to Heaven; I’ve straight up pored myself a glass of this sans Coffee before because it’s just that damned good.
Also, you know, it gets bonus points for it meaning I can still be ridiculously indulgent with my Coffee, my as-of-yet-undiagnosed Digestive Disorder be damned.
And that means Lattes. Lots and lots of Lattes.I’ve made a lot of Lattes with this stuff already and they’ve all been great. I’ve made regular cups of coffee with it, and they’ve all been great. But I was sitting there the other day and I figured… I’ve made Rose Lattes. I’ve made Green Tea Lattes. I’ve made normal Lattes, and everything in between… Why not make a Latte meant to compliment and enhance it’s amazing flavor? And so that’s exactly what I set out to do earlier this week when the Latte bug hit me again at full speed.
A little note before we get started, though: I’ve mentioned both Califa Farms and Deathwish Coffee by name in this post. This post, however, isn’t sponsored by either company and I’m not receiving anything from them for mentioning them here; our relationship is only one of company and paying consumer.
I just really love their products for a few different reasons- especially since they’ve actually made my life infinitely better over the last year; Deathwish’s Coffee products are acidic enough compared to other coffees that it helps me control my Heartburn and Acid Reflux (which I get even from something as simple as even a glass of water). And Califa Farms’s creamers have made it so that I can continue drinking coffee and other products I’d normally put milk in in the first place. Both in general are just really tasty in my opinion, too; personally I love their products and really wanted to showcase them in some way.
Almond Caramel Latte
~3oz Strongly Brewed Coffee
~1/4 cup actual Milk
Pecan Caramel Califa Farms
A dash of Almond Extract
~2 tbsp Caramel Sauce
Sugar to taste
1. If you’re using Espresso, make a normal Espresso shot with your coffee of choice. If you’re not, then start by brewing at least 3 ounces of (stronger than normal) Coffee- especially if you plan on putting the finished product in one of those big Coffee cups like I do; it doesn’t really matter how you do this as long as the final amount is at least 3 ounces, and it’s stronger than normal.
2. While that’s brewing, get your “milk” ready… Of course, for that you’ll just use the Califa Farms creamer mentioned above. Regardless of the milk, though, Lattes are generally made from 1 part strong Coffee or Espresso to 2, 3 or even 5 parts Milk depending on where you are. So you’ll need about two to three times the amount of Coffee that you’ll be using… “Getting it ready” really just means pulling the container out of the Fridge and waiting until it’s time to use it, though, so hang on.
3. The Califa Farms creamer is all well and good for the milk base in the drink itself, but you can’t really use that to make a good Milk Foam. For the Milk Foam you’ll need actual milk. And in that case, most sources tell you to use 2% or Skim Milks. I don’t like the taste of those so I never buy them. I prefer to use Whole Milk, instead- and I’ve had perfectly good results with it. So pick the type of actual milk you want to use, and measure out about 1/4th to 1/3 a cup. All you’re going to use it for is the foam, so you don’t need a whole lot.
4. Warm the actual milk that you’ll be using to make the Milk Foam. You can then either choose to warm it slowly on the stove, or pop it into the microwave in 30 second increments like I do. Either way, the milk should be warmed to a temperature where if you put your finger in it it’s a tad hot to the touch- but be careful not to scald it or make it too hot.
4. When it’s ready it’s time to turn it into Milk Foam by frothing it; frothing is such a simple process that I was actually surprised by it.
Personally I like to put my milk in a small bullet blender cup and give it a whirl for a minute… But you could also simply take a whisk to it and give it a vigorous go by hand. I’ve also seen some instructions that tell you to fill a jar about halfway up, cap it, and give it a good shake; there’s several ways to froth it, and it’s up to you how you want to go about doing so. Just do it for 30 seconds to a minute so that you have a healthy foam cap built up.
5. Coffee’s done, “Milk” is at the ready, and the Milk Foam has been created. Now it’s time to build! To do that add about 1/4th a cup of Caramel Syrup and a small dash of Almond Extract into the bottom of your Coffee cup. Poor your Coffee over it and give it a good swirl. Add sugar to taste if you’d like, then poor in the Califa Farms Creamer. Be sure to leave enough room in your cup so that you can top it off with your Milk Foam.
Some Notes: Though it’s correct to do so, you don’t actually have to use Espresso for a Latte. In fact, I actually personally dislike the taste and texture of Espresso so I prefer to use regularly brewed coffee instead. In this case I used Deathwish Coffee (of course) because it gives you that amazing Espresso kick without needing to actually make Espresso… It’s also the only Coffee we even buy, so there’s that too.
Regardless, if you don’t want to splurge on Deathwish Coffee (what’s wrong with you?) that’s fine! Any strong brewed Coffee will do- and honestly, that’s what I used before we discovered Deathwish anyways. Just keep in mind, however, that if you choose to go the “normal” Coffee route you need to brew it stronger than you normally would. That doesn’t mean double brewing, though (that results in very bitter cup of Joe)… Just add a few extra scoops of grounds on top of your usual amount.
The only company specific item I’d say you’d really need for this recipe is the Califa Farms creamer. So other than that, go wild!
And if this isn’t well explained enough for you and you need a bit more help, these links were absolutely invaluable to helping me figure out how to make normal Lattes before I had to go and get all crazy with it: Homemade Latte | How to Coffee: Latte | How to Make a Latte Like a Barista | How to Make a Latte Without an Espresso Machine | How To Make a Latte at Home Without an Espresso Machine | The Science of Steamed Milk: Understanding Your Latte Art | The Science of Frothing: How to Make Your Own Milk Foam
And viola! You’ve made yourself a Latte at home. Easy, ain’t it? But don’t just stop here, though! Get creative and experiment with it to find the ratios and flavors that you like the most… And when you do, feel free to share them here! I’d love to see what ya’ll decide to make.
