How to Make Shapes in Milk Foam

It's easy to make fun shapes in your cappuccino.

There's nothing better than a hot latte when you need a lift. A latte is an espresso topped with steamed milk. Create the cafe experience at home by making your own latte and topping it with a pretty design. A beautiful leaf is the perfect design for amateur baristas, but any shape will enhance the sensory experience of a great espresso-based drink. There are two methods to making a shape in milk foam: pouring freehand and etching using melted chocolate. Does this Spark an idea?

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Espresso
Coffee cup with rounded sides
12 oz. airtight jar
Skim milk
Small pitcher
Chocolate
Small bowl
Toothpick

Instructions

Create a Leaf Using the Free Hand Pour Method
- 1
  
  Prepare a shot of espresso and pour it into a coffee cup with rounded sides.
- 2
  
  Prepare steamed milk. Use the steam function on your espresso machine or use a milk frother. If neither is an option, you can steam milk using a 12-ounce glass jar. Pour 6 ounces of skim milk into the glass jar, close the lid and shake it vigorously until tiny bubbles form. Then remove the lid and microwave the jar for 30 seconds. The milk will double in size.
- 3
  
  Transfer the foamed milk into a small pitcher with a beak.
- 4
  
  Hold the coffee cup containing a shot of espresso at a slight angle.
- 5
  
  Pour the foamed milk directly into the middle of the coffee cup. Pour slowly. Once the cup is 3/4 full, oscillate the pitcher side to side. You should begin to see the leaf forming. As the espresso is reaching the brim of the cup, continue pouring, but move the pitcher so that the stream of milk passes up the center of the cup to create a middle part of the leaf.
Chocolate Etching Method
- 6
  
  Prepare an espresso and pour it into a coffee cup. Top with foamed milk created using either a machine or the microwave method above.
- 7
  
  Break a small piece of milk chocolate into a bowl. Microwave for a few seconds until the chocolate is melted. Do not microwave long enough for the chocolate to bubble. You just want it to be liquefied.
- 8
  
  Dip a toothpick into the melted chocolate and drag it across the top of the milk foam. Repeat until you've finished the design. You can draw a heart or whatever shape you want to in the milk foam using melted chocolate.

Tips & Warnings

Making a shape in milk foam using the free hand pouring method is tricky! It takes a lot of practice, so just go slowly and keep trying.
Experiment with different shapes. The variety of shapes you can make using milk foam are endless.