#NewRecipe: Gingerbread Latte
Becoming Your Own Barista
Recently opened business CC Coffee and Tea Interest has allowed owner Chris Dotson to bring her lifelong passion for coffee and tea to the area, and given folks the freedom to “be their own barista.”
It goes without saying that getting the ingredients for your favorite coffee and tea beverages to make it in your own kitchen instead of standing in line at the coffee shop is pretty exciting, but being your own barista if you don’t know how to make the perfect drink can be overwhelming. With so many syrups, powders, and mixes to choose from, where do you even start?
Traditional Christmas Flavors at Home
Well, fear not– Chris has shared her know-how, starting with this here Gingerbread Latte, which she describes as a “must-have Christmas coffee” that “brings the traditional flavors of the season into your favorite Christmas coffee mug!”
Before getting to the recipe, Chris also shared some behind the scenes info– such as the fact that “a latte is not a latte without espresso.” However, she knows that not everyone keeps an espresso machine at home, so she suggests at-home tools like a Moka pot and a Milk Frothing wand as more affordable starter tools. The Moka part will allow you to make espresso on the stovetop using espresso ground coffee, while the frothing wand will help bring the milk to the frothy consistency you’re dreaming of when you get a latte.
As for the flavors, this recipe will use syrup from Skinny Mixes Syrup, which offers a variety of 0 sugar coffee flavors. Chris likes making lattes at home so that you can control the type of syrup and dairy you use, thus controlling sugar without giving up flavor. She notes that deciding how much syrup to use can be a learning curve. “If you already know how many pumps of syrup from your favorite coffee shop, the general rule is one pump of syrup equals about ¼ ounces. That can vary based on the pump, so I recommend that taste test to see what you like.”
Now, without further ado, here’s the recipe, straight from Chris!
Ingredients:
1 cup milk or alternative milk product like almond milk
1/2 c espresso made
2 Ounces Skinny Mixes Gingerbread Latte Coffee Syrup
Optional:
Whipped Cream (Dairy-Free options available)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat-do not boil.
While this is heating, make your espresso or strong coffee. Add your coffee and Skinny Syrups Gingerbread Latte Syrup to a mug.
When the milk begins to steam and form bubbles on top, turn off the heat. If you have a milk frother, froth the milk. If not, use a whisk to bring milk to a frothy consistency. Pour the frother milk into the coffee and syrup and gently stir.
Now is the time to decide how extra you want your latte to be. If desired, add your whipped topping to your latte. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and nutmeg for a little bit of extra yumminess. Enjoy!
Naturally, everything you need to make this delicious latte is available at CC Coffee and Tea Interest. Chris also adds that it’s no big deal if gingerbread isn’t your favorite holiday flavor, you can swap out for a variety of different flavors, such as eggnog, sugar cookie, and peppermint bark!
Chris offers one final step– “remember to eat, drink, and be merry this holiday season!”
