Valentine's Day Latte

My daughter used to hang out in this coffee shop in Boulder when she was a student. On the last day before she graduated and headed home her favorite barista made her a latte with a little heart in the center. She was thrilled. Maybe this Valentine's Day you can wake your Sweetie with a heart latte.

The following is from WikiHow:

"HOW TO MAKE A LATTE"

Espresso machine with Steam Wand

Tamp

Metal Pitcher

Fill the metal pitcher 3/5 of the way full with milk, or to the base of the pour spout.Place thermometer securely inside of the pitcher. Steam milk to 145ºF. The temperature will raise an additional 5 degrees as it sits. If you prefer hotter drinks, that's fine, but you will scorch it above 155ºF. (be sure your thermometer is calibrated!)The steam wand should be inserted diagonally just below the surface of the milk. This will create froth or foam necessary for a good latte.When frothing make sure you are creating rotational flow in the steam pitcher and once the temperature of the milk is about 100ºF or just warm to the touch, raise the steam pitcher to cease frothing and continue to heat to above temp. Tamp the ground espresso into the portafilter with roughly 40 lbs of pressure and lock it into the group head on the espresso machine.

Pour your two perfect shots into your coffee mug or equivalent.

Texture your milk by rolling it around in the steam pitcher until glossy on the surface. Pour your steamed milk over the espresso. The froth will pour smoothly and blend with the espresso crema.

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