Cappuccino Connoisseurs

Cappuccino - one of the most popular coffee drinks served in American coffee houses. It's a smooth beverage, full of rich taste and savory creamy flavor. It is a combination of espresso and steamed and foamed milk originating with the Cappucine Monks who wore white hooded robes. Most of the milk in it is froth, which makes it very light.

Cappuccino is made by using a cappuccino steamer machine. Follow the directions on your machine to create the espresso (very strong brew), steamed milk and foamed milk. Pour the espresso into a mug. Steam five percent of the milk, and stir it into the espresso. Foam the remaining milk, and turn it out onto the espresso. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

A favorite cappuccino in my neighborhood is the Magic Coffee made by Dennis Doran at Fudge and Stuff down on main street in New Ulm, Minnesota. Dennis serves more of this cappuccino than any other. He says his recipe adds just the right amount of amaretto flavoring, a splash of Irish creame and just a hint of cream de cocoa. Believe me, it's all the rave!

Even if you don't have access to an espresso steam machine there are still very creative ways to try out a homemade cup of cappuccino. Try putting the milk in a 2-cup glass measuring cup and microwave it on high until it's really hot (about 2 minutes). Next, put the hot milk and a little sugar in a blender container. Cover with a vented lid and blend the milk until its frothy (about 1 minute). Then go ahead and mix it with a very strong cup of coffee. It will be a smooth combination.

Europeans find Viennese cappuccinos to be unbeatable. They use an 8 oz. cappuccino cup and pour in about 4 oz of espresso (made with Viennese beans). Next they add about 2 oz. of milk and a short squirt of chocolate syrup. For presentation it's topped with whipped cram and sprinkled cinnamon and chocolate powder.

A great Christmas variation is to try making your cappucino with buttermilk or even a half and half mixture. This is a very high calorie, decadent drink, just for special occasions.

Check out these websites for more information on cappuccino. Cafè do Brasil gives excellent tips on fine cappuccino - http://www.kimbo.it/kcappuccino.html . If you need to find an espresso machine of your own, try Barclay's - http://www.barclayscoffee.com/catalogs/e... or Essetti's - http://www.essetti.com or The Daily Grind - http://www.dailygrind.com/ . To find tips from the experts, try David Schomer's Professional Espresso Tips - http://www.lucidcafe.com/cafeforum/schom... .

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic