Nothing can quite replace the smell you get when you walk into a busy coffee shop before you start the day’s work.
Coffee is quite a bit lower on the list of things to worry about right now. Even so, I’ve heard a few friends say they miss the occasional visit to the IMU Starbucks or a local cafe.
I've also missed getting a blonde latte with ease. Since that is no longer an option and because I've been spending a lot more time at home, I’ve started doing a bit more than warming up a mug of instant coffee.
I’m not a barista. I just enjoy coffee and looked into ways I could make it a little less mundane. These are easy things you can do to make your mornings at home a bit more fun right now.
To make what I call a “quarantine latte”, you’ll obviously start off with coffee however you like to prepare it, hot or cold. If you’re using espresso beans be sure to grind them very finely for a stronger brew to mimic espresso.
Try something fun. Maybe you have a bag of flavored coffee that’s been sitting in your pantry for a bit.
While it’s brewing, you’ll froth your milk. To do so you need to first pick your milk. You can do this with non-dairy options like almond, cashew or coconut milk. You can add vanilla extract for taste. I use a frother similar to this. Milk frothers use mesh or wire that creates bubbles without any expensive equipment. It works best if you use cold milk.
Manual frothers like these are far-cheaper alternatives to espresso machines. You can find some at around $10. To make the milk foam, you’ll use the pump to aerate the milk until large bubbles appear.
If you want to use a whisk instead you’ll have to take a bit more time. Use a balloon whisk and stir in quick, circular motions until the milk is as frothy as you like.
If you want to be fancy and attempt some latte art you’ll start from the center of the mug and work outwards. Try not to foam the milk too much if you want to add art.
If you don’t have a milk frother and don’t want to use a whisk there are other small things you can do to add some pizzazz without foam.
Adding cinnamon is the easiest way to add flavor. Just sprinkle a bit on top for a sweet, fragrant taste. You can try something similar with cocoa powder as well.
You can also substitute your sweetener for brown sugar or coconut sugar for a richer flavor. You can even use maple syrup, but that’s only if you're a fan of strong flavors.
If you have hot chocolate mix lying around you can make an instant mocha by mixing it with equal parts milk and coffee.
If you want something a bit more interesting, you can find caramel or other flavored syrups in most ice cream aisles. You can drizzle a little on top or mix it in directly with the drink. I personally recommend butterscotch or maybe even peanut butter.
I’ve recently used white chocolate melts, not chips, to make white mochas. You just mix in the pieces as you pour your coffee to melt them. Be careful not to add too much additional sweetener, but you can top it off with whipped cream if you have it. This is especially good iced.
I’ve found that it’s comforting to start your day with a sense of normalcy when we may not be able to take part in the rest of our routines. Even when we can start going back to cafes this will be a good way to save a little bit of money. It also helps to be able to wake yourself up with a nice dose of homemade caffeine.
