If you wake up on Valentine's Day (or her birthday or anniversary, etc) and have no gift or card ready, no worries! Your sweetheart will love your clever Valentine's Day coffee 'card' but let's be real. A heart in her coffee isn't going to get you completely off the hook but it might buy you a little time. Even if you are not an artist like the baristas at your favorite coffee shop or you don't have a cappuccino machine or milk frother at home (I don't) you can still whip up a perfectly frothy latte using a Mason jar or a whisk.
Make a latte milk foam heart like coffee shop baristas make as shown in the photo on the left or use a stencil made from tin foil to easily create a heart design in the milk foam as shown on the right. It's easy to make the milk foam, but to draw the heart design with the milk foam does require practice. I watched a video from BaristaJam.com to learn how.
SUPPLIES
Foil
Scissors
Small mesh strainer
Mason jar with lid or whisk
INGREDIENTS
Espresso or strong coffee
1% or 2% milk
Cocoa or powdered cinnamon
HOW TO:
Make a heart stencil from a small piece of tin foil. Fold a 5x5 inch piece of foil in half. With the scissors, cut half a heart like you did back in grade school. Open it up.
Put a teaspoon or less of cocoa or cinnamon into the mesh strainer.
Make strong coffee or espresso as usual.
Be prepared to use the milk and foam immediately as it will dissolve quickly.
MICROWAVE METHOD: Pour the milk into the Mason jar or heat-proof jar and tighten the lid. Do not fill more than half full because it will expand. Shake the jar really hard for 40 seconds until it doubles in volume. Take the lid off the jar. Microwave uncovered on high for 30 seconds. The foam should rise to the top of the jar.
STOVE METHOD: Put the milk into a saucepan. Heat through but do not allow the milk to come to a boil. Whisk the milk vigorously until it foams.
Pour the coffee into a mug and spoon the hot milk and foam on top. Gently place the stencil over the foam and dust the cocoa or cinnamon over it.
