Iced Frothy Chocolate Latte

Coffee makes me smile and what makes me smile even bigger is pretending I'm a barista in my own kitchen. Guilty as charged. When I whip out my apron, I mean serious business. So much so that my kids probably think I'm insane.

I do have a confession: I'm not a coffee drinker; I opt for herbal tea instead. Nor am I really tempted to drink it, however, the thought of my own little cafe - and my husband being addicted to it - is enough to try my hand at making it super duper yummy. The smell, the flavor, the roasted beans, the chalkboard seasonal 'specials' in Starbuck's are all enough to send me over the moon and back.

You see, it all started when I went to Italy years ago. I have vivid memories of sitting at numerous cafe's with my sister and sipping cappuccino's, one right after the other, and being totally satisfied. Its no wonder we would walk for miles on end without feeling one bit tired... now it all makes sense.

Its not about getting a caffeine jolt or getting a 'fix'. Its the experience and I'm all about that, especially when it comes to food. This barista has come up with an awesome recipe for making a plain cup of joe taste worthy enough to be in the category of Italian coffee. Its frothy goodness is so scrumptious that its great on its own, with the foam being good enough to sip a little at a time (you know, while making an obnoxiously loud sipping noise).

Here's a general recipe. Sorry, I didn't really measure precisely; I just threw these in on a whim. After tasting it, though, I knew I had to share it!

Iced Frothy Chocolate Latte

Espresso (I just fill my maker up with espresso and a little water -- at least a couple shots worth)

Ice (LOTS of it, a couple handfuls or however many your blender can tolerate)

1 Cup Milk (I used whole, but you could use whatever. I've also used coconut milk as well)

Two tablespoons Hot Cocoa (or unsweetened cocoa... although this gives it a deeper flavor). For this one, I used a Godiva mix we had in the cupboard. Normally, I'd use cocoa and just sweeten it with sugar.

Brown Sugar (optional, depending on how sweet you like your drink)

Cinnamon (optional)

First I tossed the ice in the blender and then added the cocoa mix. I then poured the espresso in and filled the rest of the blender with milk. Once it turned a milky, creamy color, I blended away. To serve, I put some ice into a glass and put cinnamon on top of the ice (before pouring the drink) and once the latte was in, the cinnamon saturated in the drink. Yumm...



Okay okay, so I'm not a coffee drinker but I did take a sip. It was amazing... and now I have the jitters. I'll leave the coffee drinking to husband since I'll probably be awake until tomorrow night.

Ciao!