It’s that time of the year. You know that time of the year. And no, we are not talking about red
socks for the fireplace, or Christmas cheer here, we are talking about the time of gingerbread
lattes. Sneakily you have been looking forward to them, haven’t you? And maybe, just maybe
you wanted to try making them yourself this year instead of spending vast amounts of money
at your local cafe. If you have just gotten yourself a new coffee, or espresso machine maybe
you are longing to try some new recipes, or if you are giving one away for Christmas to a loved
one it can be a nice hint to include some handwritten cards with recipes. So that they remember
your favourites and make them for you throughout the year…
We found this excellent, all natural gingerbread latte recipe at Stephanie O’Dea’s blog and
made some slight alterations.
–4 cups milk (2% or lower is best to not worry about curdling, or you could use rice, soy, or
almond milk for a vegan option. Rice milk is often quite thin, so the coffee taste comes through
more. Try a thicker almond milk for best result.)
–1/2 cup white sugar (or try honey, maple syrup, or stevia for a healthier version)
–2 tsp ground ginger
–2 tsp vanilla extract (or a little bit of real vanilla seeds for the luxurious!)
–1 tsp ground cinnamon
–1/4 tsp cloves
–1/4 tsp nutmeg
— 1/4 tsp cardamom
–cinnamon stick and whipped cream for garnish (optional).
–1/2 cup strong black coffee, or a freshly-brewed shot of espresso (we would say this can be
varied according to taste – many cafes serve 1 per small latte)
Pour the milk into your pot together with the spices and whisk it gently. Keep whisking whilst
heating it if you want a frothy result, otherwise just heat it whilst gently stirring (milk burns easily,
so beware!). Allow it to simmer for some time so that the spices really flavour the milk properly.
Pour over hot coffee, or espresso and serve in cups. Garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of
nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick. Excellent to offer to guests, or just surprise someone in bed with!
For children you can always leave out the coffee and just serve the milk (and cream).