How to Make a Latte

The essential difference between the various espresso-based drinks is the milk that is added to the espresso and the ratio of milk to espresso. So the first steps in making a latte at home are first to learn how to make a good espresso followed by how to froth your milk in preparation for making your latte.

Don't forget my golden rule for perfect espresso, which is to "pull" the espresso shot directly into your cup; do NOT make it in a stainless-steel pitcher and then pour it from there into the cup. (Read why not in my golden rule for perfect espresso).

After frothing your milk either with the steamer wand of your espresso machine or using an Aerolatte milk frother, fold the froth floating on the top of the milk into the rest of the milk to give a nice velvety consistency. Break any large air bubbles by banging the bottom of the milk pitcher onto a folded towel. (Not so hard that milk jumps out of the pitcher and hits you in the face!) Using a spoon, hold back the froth from the top of the milk and pour the milk into the espresso until your cup is almost full. Allow the foam from the top of the milk to flow into the cup for the last 1/4 inch (.6cm). Voila! You've made your own caffe latte at home.

Things to know when making your perfect latte at home

A latte is traditionally made is a smaller cup (10oz / 300ml). If you have 12oz cups, that should be fine, but anything bigger is not a true latte. You aren't meant to drown your espresso in milk.

In some coffee cultures such as Australia and New Zealand, a latte is served in a 10oz glass, so don't be surprised by this if travelling in either of these countries and ordering a latte at one of the many wonderful cafes. If you prefer it in a cup, ask for it when you place your order.

What's the difference between a latte and a cafe au lait?

Other than the fact that "latte" is Italian and "cafe au lait" is French, a cafe au lait (literally coffee with milk) is served in a large bowl with a much greater ratio of milk to espresso and is considered a breakfast drink. If you order a cafe au lait after lunch in France, you will be considered uncouth.

How to Make a Plum Tart - Video

I put together a video from the photos of Riichiro making the plum tart for which I posted the recipe the other day. (Plum Tart Recipe) Hopefully this visual of the making of the tart will help you make your own tart more easily so that you can enjoy this delicious fruit pie with your coffee sometime soon.

Share the video with this link: http://youtu.be/fygaFGdDVvE

Plum Tart Recipe

Coffee and Tart 
What better way to enjoy your hot cup of homemade espresso drink than to pair it with some homemade plum tart?

My partner Riichiro recently baked a plum tart with a whole-wheat pastry crust, that went down really well with an espresso.

Here's the recipe for you to enjoy.

Bon appetite!

Whole-wheat tart with almond and fresh plum filling

Ingredients

Whole-wheat pastry

• Whole wheat flour: 200g (about 1 & 1/2 cup)

• Baking powder: 1/2 teaspoon

• Butter: 100g (4/5 of a stick) butter

• Sugar: 40g (about 1/4 cup)

• Egg: 1 whole

• Vanilla extract: a few drops

• Lemon zest: 1/2 to 1 lemon, to taste

Almond filling

• Butter: 100g (4/5 of stick of butter)
• Sugar: 40g (about ¼ cup)
• Almond meal: 120g (about 1 cup)
• Egg: 1 whole
• Egg Yolk: 1

Plums

• Firm red plums: About 6
• Sugar: 2 teaspoons
• Cinnamon: A pinch

Plum sauce

• End-cuts of fresh plums
• Sugar: 1-2 teaspoons
• Brandy or some liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)

Method:


Whole-wheat pastry

1. At room temperature, cream the butter and sugar until smooth
2. Add egg and beat into mixture
3. Add vanilla extract
4. Mix butter with whole-wheat flour
5. Sift baking powder into the dough and mix
6. Put the dough in a large freezer bag and leave it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight
7. When ready to make the pastry case, roll out the dough while still in the freezer bag to an even thickness
8. Grease a 10" pie dish with butter
9. Line the pie dish with the dough
10. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles forming below the pasty when cooking and forming a bubble
11. Bake the dough for 20 minutes in a preheated oven (350 degrees F)
12. Allow to cool

Almond filling and Plums

1. Cream butter and sugar at room temperature until smooth
2. Add yolk of 1 egg and mix well into the batter
3. Add 1 whole egg and mix well into the batter
4. Add almond meal and fold into the batter (don't whip the batter)
5. Add lemon zest and mix
6. Place the filling into the cool pasty casing
7. Slice the plums and place the slices in a bowl (put aside the end-cuts from each plum in a separate bowl)
8. Sprinkle sugar on top of the plum slices and stir lightly
9. Arrange the plum slices on the almond filling
10. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder

11. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven (350 degrees F) until a toothpick placed into the pie filling comes out cleanly
12. Set the tart aside on a rack to cool

Plum Sauce

1 While the tart is baking, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar to the reserved end-cuts of the plums and any leftover excess plum slices not used in the tart and mix well.
2 Leave for 30 minutes or more while the juices extract
3 Boil in a pot on the top of the stove for 20 minutes, skimming off any scum that forms on the top
4 Add liquor of your choice
5 With a hand-blender, puree the plums
6 Use the puree to glaze the tart once the tart has cooled slightly. Keep some of the puree aside to use as a garnish when serving the tart. Especially tasty with a "flat white".

Notes:

• You can adjust the ratios of sugar and butter to some extent according to taste
• Firm red plums are good because of their texture, tartness, and color
• It’s more difficult to roll whole wheat dough since it has less elasticity, but doing it in a freezer  bag makes it easy and saves making a mess
• Since a lot of plums are used in the tart, sugar and butter can be reduced significantly
• Add the sugar to the plums just before baking to avoid the juices extracting and making the mix too wet
• If you aren't planning on making the plum sauce with the end-cuts of the plums, then honey, plum, or apricot jam, can be used instead to glaze the tart.