March home cafe menu 🏡🌸
If I had a cafe, here’s what I’d serve this month.
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we’re serving up simple home cafe recipes, so you can save $7 on buying matcha in a cafe that tastes like hay. It even comes with a cute lil’ Instagram guide! You check it out here.
Black sesame brown sugar syrup at home
Recipe by @jenniferfrick_ on Instagram.
I’ve been totally obsessed with this black sesame syrup – so much so that I’m already on my second batch. The recipe is from Instagram creator Jennifer Frick, and it’s super simple: Just 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons black sesame powder, a cup of water, and vanilla. You combine everything except for the vanilla in a small pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 min. Stir the vanilla after you shut the heat, and let it cool to room temp. The original recipe calls for a vanilla bean, which I bet would taste amazing, but I am not fancy at the moment. If you are feeling fancy, add it at the beginning. The first time I made it, I did not strain the black sesame out, so it added a slightly gritty texture to my lattes. The second time, I used coconut brown sugar for a more molasses-y taste, and strained for a finer texture. I’d recommend straining in either case, but might go back to regular brown sugar so the sesame shines more.
Black sesame matcha latte at home
Aka tang yuan latte.
I’m a diehard iced matcha drinker – I think that cold beverages really highlight the grassy and clean flavor of matcha – but this hot latte is so good I’ve been making it instead. It reminds me of black sesame tang yuan, which is a dessert soup I always have a craving for, but eat once every five years. Instead, I’ve been having this matcha latte daily. To make, whisk (or froth with a handheld frother) a teaspoon of good quality matcha (my favorite recently is super premium from hibiki-an) with 2 oz of warm (NOT HOT) water. Meanwhile, microwave half a cup of FULL FAT* Oatly, then froth. Pour matcha into a cute teacup or latte cup, top with frothed oat milk, and stir in a tablespoon of black sesame brown sugar syrup.
*This is my ride or die nondairy bev. Please do not get the barista version or the regular or low fat.
Perfect ✨Porch Matcha ✨ at home
Patio or roof or just setting next to a window also works.
You can take any beverage, drink it on a porch, and it becomes 100% magically more tasty. I can’t explain the science behind it, but if I wake up and drink my morning coffee on the porch it’s gonna be a good day. And if I can drink my afternoon matcha on the porch? Spectacular. I think outdoor air makes beverages taste better, specifically outdoor NOT NYC air. However, I know we all do not have access to a porch (for example I’m landlocked right now,) and the second best way to enjoy this matcha is to sit next to a sunny window. To make a perfect porch matcha, froth 1 tsp matcha with a bit of warm water in a tall glass. Fill with 😻pebble ice 😻 (if you don’t have pebble ice, regular ice will do) and top with FULL FAT 😤Oatly oat milk. Pour in 1-2 tsp maple syrup, and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt.
Iced cinnamon bun oat milk latte at home
Here is the creamer.
If you can’t be bothered with coffee syrups – do not worry, I still have an iced latte for you. This recipe is a simple classic, but much greater than the sum of its parts. To make it, shake 2 shots Nespresso or real espresso with 1 teaspoon coconut brown sugar*, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and a dash of good cinnamon powder with ice in a Bonne Maman jar. (If you don’t have a Bonne Maman jar, a regular jar will do 🥲.) Top with FULL FAT 😤Oatly oat milk, and a splash of Nutpods cinnamon swirl OAT creamer. The creamer is optional, but it really adds that coffee shop extra flavor. Enjoy with a cold metal straw. Note that often recipes tell you to strain your shaken espresso over ice, but I honestly can’t be bothered, plus everything tastes better in the cute jam jar.
*I’m super into coconut brown sugar recently, but regular is fine. Coconut brown sugar is less sweet and more molasses-y, plus I need to finish the whole bag.
Coconut condensed milk cappuccino at Paper Sons Cafe
10 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
**I did not make this beverage**, but I loved it so much I want to recreate it at home, which is why I’m sharing it with you. I’ve never tried coconut condensed milk before, but this latte had such a nice balanced slightly coconut not too sweet flavor, without being too creamy like regular sweetened condensed milk can be. Also, a pro tip about cafes is that you can ask them if they can make any latte as a cappuccino! I never thought about doing that before but actually it was perfect, because lattes have way too much milk for me. That way, also, the flavor is less diluted, too. I’ll let you know when I get my hands on trying this myself.
XOXO,
Soph
P.S. This week’s post has a cute IG guide!! Check it out here.
P.PS. Please let me know if you make any of these fun bevs! You can reply directly to this email, or even better, post a picture and tag me on Instagram @fivethingsiate!