Coffee: the drink of the morning, starter of good days, and warmth inside your tummy. The smell of waking up and getting your butt in movement. The little roasted beans of dark rich liquid inspiration. I love coffee, and I am guessing you do too. I like to have a pretty coffee delivered right to my hand with mountains of heavy cream and drizzles of flavors.
This is a part of my morning ritual that has not changed just because I am forced to construct my own at home. I long for the days of applying my mascara while in the drive-thru waiting for my morning cohort and motivation, my favorite coffee drink.
If I had to guess at which coffee drive-thru was the most popular it would probably be the one that has an algorithm for how far apart from one another each little store can be. Yup, you guessed it. Starbucks.
Everyone knows and loves their little drive-thru coffee shops. Pastry and coffee and you do not have to even get out of the car. Yes, Starbucks knows how to make people come to them. With all the shutdowns, lockdowns, and restrictions happening because of COVID-19 there has been a real decrease in my coffee consumption from my favorite drive-through.
I, like everyone else, have been sent to work at home and left with no reason to put on pants and drive to the coffee shop for my morning coffee.
So, what do we do? Not sure about you but I consider my morning coffee a need, a necessity, not a want. I am online trying to figure out what my favorite Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks is made out of.
I am on the Starbucks website menu, it states that the Salted Caramel Mocha has mocha sauce, toffee nut syrup combined with coffee and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and sugar. Ok, wonderful but which coffee bean do they use?
Did you know Starbucks has 12 listed on their site alone? You can buy the coffee beans if you know which ones they use to create your favorite, no mention of the little salt crystals that just make it so yummy. Looking at this Starbucks menu drink description and wondering which coffee beans are used to brew the mochas. To Google for some research, finally, I stumbled across one sentence that helps me when choosing what to order for making mocha coffees.
I discovered that mocha coffee beans are from a plant known as Coffee arabica, it was originally only grown in Mocha, Yemen. I laughed out loud when I read this, I remember an episode of “Friends” where Chandler has told Janice he is moving to Yemen.
I thought it was a made-up place. Who knew. So, this is the bean I should be looking for in the stores. Yes, a lead. What else is in Starbucks mocha drinks? I google Starbucks salted caramel mocha and add the word recipe. What? Starbucks has a recipe tab on their site. Sweet! I head there and find a Mocha Café recipe.
This is not the salted caramel mocha but is very close. Considering that I am not a complete novice at coffee creations I feel confident I can substitute and modify ingredients that will allow me to create the correct combination of flavors.
The ingredients include which Starbucks brand of coffee to use, Espresso Roast which has rich caramel notes brought out by the longer roasting times. Finally, some progress. Ok for a good mocha, I check out the best Starbucks coffee beans and there is also a convenient list of the other items I need to buy with just a few substitutions.
This will be a fun adventure, creating my own version of the perfect drink. Nothing listed for the fun salt sprinkles…hmm more research? Nah! Shopping now, has anyone else noticed how many types of coffees are available? It is overwhelming, I am stoked that I found a recipe that specified which one would make the drink I am craving.
Remember that the salted caramel mocha has mocha sauce, toffee nut syrup combined with coffee and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and sugar.
I have seen the sugar they use is the fancy raw sugar called turbinado, the kind that still has some molasses in it, combined with sea salt. Yummy. What in the world is toffee nut syrup? Google to the rescue again, you can buy the syrup at Amazon for a steep price. Is it worth it?
De’Longhi ECAM44.660.B 1450-Watt Fully Automatic Coffee Machine (Black)
Automatic cleaning integrated into the froth regulating dial permits you an easy cleaning of the whole milk carafe components – so the milk carafe can be turned to the fridge after use…..
more info
Probably and I won’t have to put on real pants. Steamed milk, what is that? Google to the rescue again, there are directions on the first post. Pour a half cup of milk into a mason jar, tightly put the lid on the jar and shake the snot out of it for like 20 to 30 seconds. Take the lid off the jar, metal is a no-no for the microwave.
Microwave for approximately 30 to 45 seconds, that is it steamed milk created. Whipped cream is easy enough and doesn’t forget to give yourself a shot right out of the can, it is yours after all.
Caramel drizzle, not a problem, and the salt well I found something on Amazon that may work. I have created the drink, I feel satisfied and a little proud of myself.
As I sip my drink in my PJ pants doing work online I ponder if this is the new normal. Will I ever wear mascara again? Real pants? Drive-thru? Whatever changes life brings I know I will be enjoying it with a good cup of coffee in my hand.