Honey Cinnamon Latte
A loud drone will indicate the machine awakening, next the grinding of the beans and the trill of the dark juices dripping. The seething howl of the steaming wand and finally, the swish of the frothed milk into the hot black coffee. Spoonful of sugar, stir and sip...and sip. From that first day when my husband brought home that shiny Breville Barista Express espresso machine, this has been an almost daily routine.
I've never ground my own coffee beans before that day; my occasional cup of coffee usually consisted of steeping preground coffee beans or dropping a spoonful of instant coffee into my hot water. That day I was hovering over the espresso machine, half listening to my husband explain every knob and button and half wondering what we would ever do with such a device. We tinkered with and experimented until I was sure even our neighbors could smell coffee brewing.
I didn't expect to become a devout coffee drinker. In fact, I was unaware that my fondness was indeed growing with every cup, until it was undeniable that I was regularly dreaming of a hot cup of coffee; with my breakfast, on a date with my girlfriends, on a chilly afternoon with a book. Nowadays, my regular cup will consist of the simple combination of espresso, milk and sugar; but on occasion, I will go outside the familiar and venture out to try something new. To the coffee drinkers who are unafraid to spice up their lives- try this combination of honey and cinnamon. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.
Honey Cinnamon Latte
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 shots of espresso or 1/2 cup coffee of your choice, unflavored
2 cups almond milk, unflavored
1/2 Tsp cinnamon, plus extra for garnish
2 heaping Tbsp organic honey, plus extra for garnish
Instructions:
1. Brew 1/2 cup coffee or 2 shots of espresso.
2. While prepared coffee or espresso is still hot, divide into 2 mugs, and stir in 1 tablespoon honey and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon into each mug until well blended.
3. Heat and froth 2 cups almond milk (one cup at a time if using a steamer on a machine, or both cups at once in a small pot on medium high heat if using stove top*).
4. Fill each cup equally with the milk, give it a light sprinkling of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey and enjoy!
* If you choose to heat and froth milk on stove top, do not leave the milk unattended. Milk will froth and bubble over very quickly once it starts boiling (which will froth the milk).