Latte macchiato is a famous drink, one of the favorite among connoisseurs of coffee cocktails. Especially popular in Western and Central Europe. Hot coffee made from espresso and milk, mixed jewelry and professionally decorated before serving, win fans almost from the first cup.
The secret to making latte macchiato is to maintain proper proportions when combining the ingredients. It is considered mandatory to adhere to such a ratio of parts: strictly three volumes of espresso and one volume of milk. When preparing a cocktail, coffee is gently poured into milk, while on the top layer of milk foam there remains a “small speck”, which served as the cocktail (translated from Italian).
Typically, latte macchiato is served in long glasses with a narrow dessert spoon or in irish glasses with a straw. The drink itself consists of three layers, which due to the difference in consistency and temperature do not mix with each other, creating beautiful and clear lines. The first layer in the cocktail is followed by hot milk, then comes the espresso and, finally, a thick beautiful milk froth. Espresso coffee has a much lower density and high temperature compared to other ingredients, so it easily turns into the main layer - the basis of the drink. As already mentioned, coffee is poured into the cocktail by the last of the components, passing through layers of milk and foam.
The secret of macchiato coffee is in the proper preparation of the foam. In order to create a thick foamy “pillow” necessary for consistency, a special apparatus is needed for whipping milk. If you are a true coffee lover and seriously think about purchasing a professional defoamer, it is worth saying that one of the best are Jura devices. Only when using such machines will the foam hold for a long time, will be lush and airy. At home, it is quite difficult to achieve real foam.
An already prepared cocktail for beauty can be sprinkled with cocoa powder or chocolate chips on top of the foam. And if you want and the presence of artistic abilities, you can even create a fantasy drawing.
Latte macchiato goes well with other ingredients that are used to make coffee cocktails. It can be alcoholic drinks (for example, rum or liquor), syrups of various tastes (only citrus, which leads to curdling of milk, will not work).
Based on the classic latte macchiato cocktail, you can prepare many variations of this drink. It is harmoniously complemented by cinnamon, ground nuts, chocolate cream, ice cream and other components. One of the most popular options is irish latte. The base of the drink is prepared according to the classic recipe, but after heating, a little Irish cream is added to the milk , which, due to its own density, creates a new, fourth layer of the cocktail, which sinks to the bottom of the glass.
You can make latte at home, but for this it is better to use a coffee machine. For a cocktail, you need freshly roasted coffee beans or an espresso mix. It is better to choose soft coffee, without bitterness, which is best suited for this drink. Milk of at least 3.2-3.5% fat content is also necessary.
First you need to beat the milk. Turn on whipping mode and wait until hot uniform steam appears. After that, you can immerse the cappuccino machine in a glass of milk and turn on the steam mode. Milk will begin to froth; when there are signs of boiling, beating should be stopped so that the liquid does not begin to spill out of the glass. Keep in mind that in the process of whipping, milk increases in volume to one and a half to two times. Place a mug of milk under the coffee outlet and press the appropriate button. The latte macchiato cocktail is ready!