Coconut Milk Cortado

A cortado (derived from the Spanish verb cortar, which means “to cut”) is a drink made with a one-to-one ratio of espresso to milk. I prefer mine with much thicker and more satisfying coconut cream. Pulling the perfect shot of espresso (or even a really good one) takes a lot of practice. A great shot begins with high-quality espresso beans. Try to purchase beans that have been roasted within the last week. A good roaster will put the roasting date in plain sight on the package. I really like beans from roasters like Verve (California) and La Colombe (Pennsylvania), but you should be able to find good coffee roasters locally.

15 minutes

Difficulty

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	168
Fat:	17 g
Carbohydrates:	3 g
Protein:	0 g
Calculated for total recipe.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

This recipe is from Make It Paleo 2
15 gram 15 gram 15 gram Coffee Beans, Roasted, espresso beans
3 oz 3 oz 3 oz Coconut Milk, cream
Liquid Stevia Extract, a few drops, to taste - or your choice of coffee sweetener

Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Before you start, review the recipe notes below (there's some important info in there!)
Warm your portafilter with hot water from the espresso machine. This will give your shot heat stability.
Once the portafilter is warm, add the ground espresso, level it off, and tamp it down firmly, giving it a twist at the end to help level the tamp. Pour or scoop 2–3 oz of coconut milk into a mug (see Notes), along with any sweetener you wish (I like a few drops of liquid stevia). Pull the shot into the mug. Ideally, this should take 20–25 seconds. A rich crema on top means that the beans are fresh and the oils have been properly extracted. Allow the drink to rest for 30 seconds, then stir and enjoy!

Notes

Grind your beans very finely, almost to a “Turkish” grade. If you do not have a conical burr grinder, which is necessary for grinding espresso, then buy some pre-ground Illy or Lavazza brand espresso. The “dose” of espresso is typically measured in grams for accuracy, though you’ll hardly ever see a professional barista whip out a scale. After measuring it out a few times, you’ll know the correct amount by sight. For the sake of simplicity, my preferred method is to use room temperature or even chilled coconut milk for this drink. This temperature allows me to drink the espresso quickly, in true Italian fashion. If you like a piping-hot drink or like to sip slowly, you may prefer to heat the coconut milk before pulling the shot.