Café au Lait
I don’t usually write about coffee preferences, but there’s a simple story behind mine. I love a good latte and for years I owned an espresso machine. Every morning I made two lattes for myself and often one or two for my husband. Then one day the machine stopped working, and my daily barista routine ended.
I’ve enjoyed coffee since childhood — my dad let me sip his at breakfast. He drank it black with sugar, and I later followed suit through college, brewing coffee in a small percolator in the dorm and then the apartment. Black coffee was my go-to for years.
Between my junior and senior years of college I backpacked across Europe with my best friend. It was the best trip I ever took, full of memorable moments — and it’s where I first discovered adding milk to coffee as a regular habit. In Europe it had a name: café au lait. We drank it everywhere.
Near the end of that trip we took a long train from Barcelona to Paris and arrived in the early morning, exhausted and in need of showers and food. The first café we found became our refuge. We sat at the bar and ordered huge café au laits — steaming coffee topped with hot milk — and the bartender placed a basket of warm croissants in front of us. The combination was heavenly; we devoured the entire basket, assuming they were complimentary.
When the bill arrived, we were shocked to see charges for each croissant. We were backpackers on a tight budget and had probably eaten six. It was a lesson in travel etiquette and the kind of memory that sticks with you.
After my espresso machine died, I switched to a drip coffee maker. Recently I rediscovered a simple way to create hot, foamed milk without an espresso machine. Café au lait is essentially half strong brewed coffee and half hot milk. I learned the difference while working as a barista in college: a latte is made with espresso, while café au lait uses brewed coffee. I like a bit of creamy foam on top of mine.
Here’s an easy method to make foamed milk at home: fill a small mason jar halfway with cold milk, secure the lid, and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Remove the lid and microwave the jar for roughly 25 seconds to warm and stabilize the foam. Pour strong brewed coffee into a large cup to the halfway point, add the warm milk, stir, then spoon the foam on top. That’s a simple, satisfying café au lait.
You don’t need an expensive espresso machine to enjoy a creamy, foamed-milk coffee at home. This method is quick, reliable, and yields a comforting café au lait whenever you want one.
Enjoy, Kelly
Café au Lait
Café Au Lait
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
- Strong brewed coffee
- Milk, low fat (I use 1%; whole milk or cream is not recommended)
Instructions
- Fill a small mason jar about halfway with milk, secure the lid, and shake for about 30 seconds. Remove the lid and microwave for about 25 seconds.
- Pour coffee into a large cup halfway, add the warm milk, stir, then spoon foam on top and swirl gently.
