The Recipes from coffeegeek.com
These are the faves. I don't have to tell you that there are many more "milk based coffee drinks" out there, but we'll work with the standards.
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Latte
Just a big bowl of hot milk, with a lil' bit of coffee to flavour.
Latte: This is a wildly popular drink in North America. Large quantity of milk, small quantity of coffee. Something the Italians might serve to their children.
It is a great introductory drink, the coffee is softened almost to the point of non-existence and it is topped by just a whisper of foam. Very approachable, perfect for non-coffee drinkers and and the warm milk crowd.
Café au Lait: The French version of a latte. Big and Milky. Something to dip your croissant in, to linger over or to wake up with. It is made with steamed milk and double strength, dark roast coffee in a 50:50 ratio. 50% steamed milk, 50% coffee. Foam is generally not a feature of this drink but I won’t tell if you don’t tell. Float a little foam on top if you want.
Typically served in a large bowl or anything that you can wrap your hands around in a loving embrace. Espresso is not a feature of this drink and so it could also be called a Poor Mans latte. Easily and inexpensively made with only a few simple instruments. See the Steaming Milk for Newbies section for more details.
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Mocha
Lots of chocolate, llots of milk, ots of whipped cream, little bit of coffee.
Mocha: Considered by many to be the gateway drink of the espresso world. A lot of people get hooked and stay hooked on these things. Ya got your chocolate, ya got your sugar, ya got your fat, and did I say you got your chocolate?
You make a mocha with quality chocolate syrup (think Guitard or Godiva, not Nestle Quick), coating the bottom of your cup. Use about an ounce worth of sauce for a 12oz drink, plus or minus to taste. Brew the shots of espresso on top, give it a quick stir, add steamed, lightly foamed milk on top of that and then the coup de grace is a generous pile of whipped cream to finish your arteries off…I mean your Mocha.
Use the same amount of coffee as you would for a latte. If you’ve got a steamwand that can really move the milk add the chocolate sauce to the milk before steaming so that the two mix a little more thoroughly. Some have been known to skip the chocolate sauce and just steam chocolate milk with good results. Nothing beats some really fine chocolate.
I don’t drink these because I wouldn’t want to seem weak or anything and I’m afraid I might like them.
