Gingerbread Latte Recipe

Before you start

A gingerbread latte should taste like the cookie: dark, sticky molasses, real ginger heat, and warm spice behind it. Most of that lives in the syrup, so this recipe starts with a small batch of gingerbread syrup made from brown sugar, molasses and both fresh and ground ginger. Fresh ginger gives a bright bite; ground ginger gives the baked, familiar warmth.

Molasses is the decision that sets the character. A little gives the latte depth and a toasted color. Too much tastes bitter and metallic against espresso, so this syrup uses only enough to read clearly as gingerbread. The syrup keeps for a couple of weeks, which turns each latte into a two-minute job.

Ingredients

• Gingerbread syrup150 ml (5 oz) water
• 100 g (½ cup packed) dark brown sugar
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) unsulfured molasses — not blackstrap, which is too bitter
• 15 g (a 3 cm piece) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• pinch salt
• Latte60 ml (2 oz) hot espresso
• 25 to 30 ml (about 2 tbsp) gingerbread syrup
• 180 ml (6 oz) whole milk
• to taste whipped cream and grated nutmeg — optional

Method

1. Combine the water, brown sugar, molasses, sliced fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves and salt in the saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer gently for 5 minutes; the syrup will thicken slightly and smell strongly of ginger.
3. Take it off the heat, cover and let it steep for 15 minutes so the ginger and spices infuse fully without the syrup reducing too far.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar. Let the ground ginger sediment settle in the strainer rather than pressing it through. You should have about 200 ml.
5. Pull a double espresso into a mug and stir in 25 ml of the syrup while it is hot.
6. Steam or froth the milk to 60 to 65°C (140 to 150°F), until the jug is hot but still touchable and the milk is glossy with fine foam.
7. Pour the milk into the espresso, finishing with foam on top. Add whipped cream and a little grated nutmeg if you like, then taste and add more syrup by the teaspoon.

Tips for success

• Fresh ginger strength varies. Taste the syrup after steeping; if you want more heat, add a few more slices and steep another 10 minutes.
• Light (mild) molasses gives a clean gingerbread flavor. Blackstrap is much more bitter and can make the latte taste burnt.
• Stirring the syrup into hot espresso before adding milk keeps it from sinking in a sticky layer.

Substitutions

Molasses

Dark muscovado sugar used in place of the brown sugar and molasses gives similar depth in one ingredient. Maple syrup makes a lighter, less traditional gingerbread.

Whole milk

Oat milk complements the spices and steams well. Almond milk works but makes the latte taste lighter and nuttier.

Espresso

120 ml strong brewed coffee replaces a double shot; reduce the milk to 120 ml.

Variations

Iced gingerbread latte

Stir the syrup into espresso, pour over ice and top with cold milk.

Gingerbread cold brew

Add 20 ml syrup to iced cold brew and top with a spoonful of cold foam.

Troubleshooting

The syrup tastes bitter

Too much molasses or a blackstrap variety. Dilute the batch with 50 ml of plain 1:1 simple syrup and use mild molasses next time.

Gritty bits in the bottom of the mug

Ground ginger sediment came through. Strain the syrup through a paper coffee filter, or let it settle in the jar and pour off the clear syrup.

The latte tastes weak

The syrup is spread through too much milk. Use 30 ml of syrup or cut the milk to 150 ml.

Storage

Store the strained syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to about 2 weeks. Discard it if it turns cloudy, smells off or shows mold. The latte is best fresh; do not leave milk drinks out for more than 2 hours.