For our February coffee recipe we will to teach you how to make a Mexican Mocha. This recipe is inspired by two of our favorite regular morning customers at Som’s Café. We first met Travis and Katie in the spring of 2020 when they began working from home and had decided to try us out since their apartment was across the street from the shop. They quickly became regulars and we looked forward to chatting with them every morning when they walked over to get their morning coffee.
The first time Katie came in she had a special request for an espresso beverage that we had yet to feature at Som’s, but that is one that has a cult following among coffee shop patrons. This drink became Travis and Katie’s regular go-to drink as they continued to come in every morning until our shop eventually closed in August of 2020. At the shop we would always just refer to this drink as “Katie’s Drink” because she and Travis were the only customers we were making it for. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to feature this drink on our monthly specials menu before the shop closed, but we’ll share it with you now to make it at home.
All the emotions of closing the shop are still very raw for me; even months after my last day there, because Som’s was more than just a job. My coworkers were like family and Som’s was the place where I could be creative and experiment with all my different beverage ideas. But now, our new goal is to take those beverage ideas, that creativity, and empower our subscribers to be able to make café quality beverages at home. That’s why I am excited to share this recipe now for the month of February, the Mexican Mocha.
If you haven’t already watched our videos or read our blog posts on how to make a latte at home, you will want to do so before making this drink to make sure you’ve got the basics down: https://somscafe.com/how-to-make-a-latte-cappuccino-at-home/ . It will also be helpful for you to watch our most recent video featuring three winter drink recipes because it will teach you our method of making cinnamon infused steamed milk, which you will need for the Mexican Mocha: https://somscafe.com/how-to-make-winter-lattes/.
Mexican Mocha Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 oz brewed espresso
- 1oz Hershey syrup (about 3 squeezes)
- Ground cinnamon
- Small pinch of ground cayenne pepper
- Milk
- Whipped Cream
Directions:
In a saucepan on the stove, heat milk at medium heat for @5-6 minutes until it is warm but not boiling (@140°F). While the milk is heating, add about two dashes of cinnamon to the milk and stir. As the milk heats up, your milk will become infused with the flavor of the cinnamon and that’s what will give your mocha its cinnamon flavor. Once the milk is warm and steaming, take an immersion blender and froth the milk until you get a decent amount of stiff foam. This will also help blend the cinnamon into the milk to ensure that you don’t have any clumps of cinnamon in your drink.
In a 16oz mug, combine 1oz Hershey syrup, 3oz brewed espresso and a PINCH of cayenne; if you add too much cayenne, the heat will be all you taste, so make sure you are only adding a tiny pinch of cayenne, because a little bit goes a long way. Stir the first three ingredients together well to incorporate the chocolate and cayenne into the brewed espresso. Next, add the cinnamon infused milk. Hold back the foam and pour the milk into the mug up to about 1/2 in below the rim of the cup, then stir again. Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.
Use this recipe to spice up your love life this Valentine’s day. Consider giving someone you love the monthly subscription for coffee or tea to get recipes, videos, and tips from professionals along with Sommelier curated fresh roasted coffee every month straight from our roaster to your door-step.
The Monthly Subscription is on sale for Valentine’s Day for just $9.95/month. Get it here: https://somscafe.com/?s=monthly+subscription
