Hot Coffee Drinks (Non-Alcoholic)

Hot Coffee Drinks (non-alcoholic)

Basic caffe latte or cafe au lait
One part espresso to two parts steamed milk, sugar to taste. The latte size variations are not very imaginative: there is "short", "tall", "grande", and so on, but when one adds the possibility of different milks the nomenclature becomes more fun. So a large latte with non-far milk becomes a "tali skinny". A latte with decaffeinated espresso is a "harmless". While a latte made with decaffeinated coffee and non-fat milk is called, of course a "skinny sleeper".

The use of different flavorings is a major difference between today's West Coast-inspired coffee craze and other periods of caffeine madness through the centuries. Variations on latte include putting a tablespoon of non-alcoholic flavored syrups (blueberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, pineapple, caramel, mint-chocolate, hazelnut, coconut, cinnamon, chocolate, crème de cacao, blue Curacao, vanilla, banana, cherry, orange, peach, amaretto, crème de menthe) in the cup before adding the coffee. Or it is possible to combine two or more of these flavorings in one large glass, add the espresso and steamed milk, and top it all with whipped cream and a garnish. Another possibility is to replaced the syrup with a few drops of vanilla, almond, peppermint, maple or lemon essence.

For almost any recipe below, hot or cold, alcoholic or not, if the drink is topped with cream or froth almost any garnish (vanilla powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, or chocolate sprinkles), can be a finishing touch. In recipes where the texture is substantial enough to require a spoon, and where the topping is often whipped cream, potential garnishes can include a roasted coffee bean, a chocolate-covered coffee bean, a maraschino cherry, a mint leaf, toasted slivered almonds or a cinnamon stick.

To make a coffee syrup, place 100-150g of finely-ground coffee in a jug, pour about 750ml boiling water over it, stir well, leave to infuse for about 20 minutes, and strain the liquid into another saucepan, where 750-800g of sugar are diluted with a few tablespoons of water. Stir the sugar coffee mixture and boil it vigorously for at least five minutes. Allow it to cool, and place it in a bottle, keeping it closed. This syrup can be used to enhance the flavor of some coffee drinks, or indeed to take the place of coffee in other recipes.

Latte macchiato
As opposed to espresso macchiato, this one is the reverse: a glass of frothy milk, with a shot of espresso dribbled down through it.

Cafe mélange
In Vienna, hot coffee (non-espresso) served two parts coffee to one part hot milk with a dollop of whipped cream on the top is called melange.

Cafe crème
Regular coffee (non-espresso) served with cream. (Not the crème on the surface of an espresso.)

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