The Adventurous Barista presents "Macchiato in the Making"

macchiato: italian for marked or stained

The true way to start off, is to brew a couple shots of espresso in a genuine espresso maker. Ya know, that fancy contraption that drips life juice? But we don't own one of those beauts, so I make do with a strong brew of espresso grind in our French press pot. 

If you happen to be the lucky duck with the espresso maker, go ahead and heat/steam your milk. (For a 12 oz. drink, use about a cup of milk) 

Prepare your mug or cup with a Tbs of the flavoring of your choice. (I use this vanilla flavoring, or if I want a healthier version, just a tsp or so of pure vanilla extract) 

If you are in the same position as me, and don't have a machine to do the work for you ;), just heat up some milk on the stove and whisk it until it's nice and frothy. 

works like so ;) 

Now it's time to start building your masterpiece. Go ahead and either pour or ladle your milk into the cup. You need to make sure that there's a good amount of foam in there, so if needed, just skim some extra in. 

Wait for a moment (about 30-60 seconds) until you can clearly see the milk settling into two layers: 

Beautiful, ain't it? 

Ok, now you want to measure out a shot of your hot espresso (don't let it cool any) 

Here's where the magic of the drink comes into play. But it's a very fragile beauty, and can only be done with a good deal of patience and steadiness. You are going to take a spoon and angle it so that the tip is pointing down towards the edge of the glass. SLOWLY pour your shot of espresso onto the back of the spoon, letting the coffee make a SLOW entrance into the foaminess. If performed correctly, you will begin to see a neat separation of the elements, as the coffee settles beneath the foam, but above the milk. I use at least 1 shot per drink....depending on the day, 2 may be more appropriate. ;) Like I said, the slow and smooth factor is VITAL to this layered drink. But I tell you, it is worth it.....

....when you behold the full glory of your creation! 

And the look don't take all the cake.----this has been a HUGE hit in our house, and I get custom orders from my mom and sisters every day. ;) You can do so many variations of this drink: caramel, hazelnut, mocha, almond, irish cream, etc. I didn't put a topping on this one, but feel free to use your creative juices, and sprinkle with cinnamon, garnish with chocolate shavings, or whatever your little barista heart desires. 

Ladies, and Gents. I give you the

MACCHIATO

You're very welcome,

Sarah