Latte Love

Love lattes? Make them at home.

A latte (from the Italian caffè latte, meaning “coffee and milk”) is a drink made with espresso and steamed milk. Not only are lattes easy to make and delicious, but they’re another way to get milk’s 9-essential nutrients.

You don’t need to leave home to enjoy coffeehouse treats. It’s easy to recreate these popular drinks at home. If you already own an espresso or cappuccino machine, use it to prepare the coffee and milk for these recipes. But you can still enjoy coffee bar specialities using whatever coffee maker you have in your kitchen. According to Corby Kummer, author of The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying, the fanciest piece of equipment you need is a $10 frother or stovetop espresso maker, usually called a moka.

Even that isn’t essential, Kummer says. You can use a standard stovetop or electric coffee maker and your favorite brand of coffee. Just brew double-strength coffee; that is, use half the water you normally would. Be sure to dilute the strong essence with plenty of milk – as in the following recipes.

And for the foamed milk, you can use a blender if you don’t have an espresso maker with a steamer attachment or a separate milk foamer. You can also microwave your milk in a mug for a minute and then froth it right in the cup with an electric hand blender. We tried this one from Aerolatte and it works great – but we’re kind of partial to the cow printed one – plain silver, black and chrome are also available.

Brews to Choose For Calcium

Caffè Latte

Espresso – 1 shot (about 1 ounce of liquid)
Steamed Milk – Fill a large cup (12 ounces or bigger) almost to the rim with milk, about 11 ounces
Foamed Milk – Top off with about 1/4 inch layer

Caffè Mocha

Chocolate Syrup – Pour in enough chocolate syrup to just cover the bottom of the cup (about 1 1/2 ounces)
Espresso – 1 shot (about 1 ounce)
Steamed Milk – Fill a large cup almost to the rim with milk, about 9 ounces
Whipped Cream – Top with a dollop (optional)
Cocoa Powder – Lightly sprinkle over top

Cappuccino

Espresso – 1 shot (about 1 ounce)
Steamed Milk – Fill the cup halfway to the rim with milk, about 7 ounces
Foamed Milk – Top off with a thick layer above the rim

Espresso

Genuine espresso is made with a dark-roasted bean and is brewed under pressure in an espresso machine. At home, a substitute can be brewed using a drip pot and filter paper or use a standard stovetop or electric coffee maker and brew double-strength coffee; that is, use half the water you normally would.

Recipes

Books

Read more about how to make you coffeehouse favorites at home:

Nutrition Information

Most of us know that milk is high in calcium. Just one cup of milk provides one of the 3-Every-Day™ of Dairy servings your body needs for stronger bones and overall health. But did you know that lattes also contain the following nutrients?

Nutrient	Aids Our Bodies In:	Amount found in milk
Protein	Building and repairing muscles Optimizing recovery from injury Providing energy for exercise	There is more protein in one cup of milk than the amount found in one egg.
Potassium	Regulation of body fluids Maintaining proper blood pressure	One cup of milk has the same amount of potassium as in a banana or a glass of orange juice.
Vitamin D	Calcium absorption Bone mineralization	Milk products are one of the few food sources containing Vitamin D.
Riboflavin	B-vitamin Needed to convert food to energy	One glass of milk is a good source of riboflavin.
Carbohydrates	Fuel for the body	One cup of milk has about the same amount of calories as a slice of bread.
Water	Vital for keeping the body hydrated	One glass of milk is nearly 90 percent water.

DAIRY LOVERS