Save some extra dollars this season for Christmas presents! Why go out and spend $7 a day on a cup of seasonal coffee when you can have daily, inexpensive, and impressive, pumpkin spiced latte at your leisure. You know what they say: Some of the best meals are made right at home! And you should know, the same goes the for delicious, hot or cold beverages as well.
Now, like many people who may be new or inexperienced to the world coffee world, let me give you a breakdown of what a latte really is. The main defining factor of what makes a latte different from a cappuccino or a macchiato is its espresso and milk/foam ratio. A basic latte drink consists of coffee and is made with ⅓ espresso and 2/3 steamed milk. A cappuccino has equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam (⅓ each). And a macchiato is just espresso with a thicker layer of foam on top. See! Its that simple.
Now, lets start off with the right equipment. (BTW, this recipe Is super easy to make, especially if you have the right tools).
You’ll need to make espresso for a latte and this is what you’ll need.
Espresso roast coffee: The roast is important to get the right dark, bitter flavor. Also make sure to use a fine grind on the espresso when you make it.
- Espresso machine or a manual espresso maker
Then, you’ll want to grab some:
- Pumpkin Puree
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
Start by heating the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spices, and vanilla extract on the stove.
Then mix the pumpkin spice milk with the strong coffee. To intensify the flavor, simmer the puree in a saucepan until it has reduced down by 1/3. Once sauce is evenly blended, pour and stir into your espresso.
Now’s the time to add in some foam! When it comes to milk, whole milk is your best option. Why? Because whole milk froths the best! Before using milk, you also want to determine how fresh it is! Spoiling milk does not foam well.
In order to heat up the milk if you do not have an espresso machine, heat the milk on the stovetop then froth it. A temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect: that’s where the milk is pretty hot but not simmering. Then froth using just simply a whisk (or your desired tool) until the milk is frothed into small, even bubbles. Wait for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the foam to incorporate a bit into the milk so that the drink is creamy enough. If you want to skip the manual head ache of making froth, then I suggest purchasing a Cold Brew Whipper ( https://mastrad-paris.us/collections/whippers/products/cold-brew-whipper )
And to top it all off, totally optional, grab your handy whipper. My favorite one to use is Mastrad’s Gourmet Aluminum Whipper ( https://mastrad-paris.us/collections/whippers/products/gourmet-aluminium-whipper-0-5l ). I would suggest sprinkling some cinnamon around and on top of your whip cream If you want to get even more creative for the aesthetic look.
And last but not least, take a sip of your delicious Pumpkin Spiced Latte!
