Kitchen Play: Coconut Meringue Latte

Coconut Meringue Latte. Calm down, first let me talk a little and then you can scroll down and rush to the kitchen to start making this. Promise me you’ll make this Italian Meringue and not substitute with whipped cream. Promise. Okay, good. Why? Well, it’s just that the meringue adds great texture to the drink, and provides the sweetness you need. I made this for Kitchen Play. What is it? Go here and read about it!

The cocktail course in Kitchen Play this month was a delicious Gingerbread Cafe au Lait with the optional addition of bourbon. You can read the recipe here and recreate that drink at home! For my participation in this Kitchen Play, I decided to develop a cool weather inspired recipe of my own based on the Gingerbread Cafe au Lait.

My Coconut Meringue drink is a layered drink of flavors and textures that will make your drinking experience even more pleasurable. You can add a splash of rum for the adult-version of this drink!

• The bottom layer starts with sticky chocolate fudge (you can use store-bought fudge or make your own!)
• Sitting on the fudge is a shot of espresso, bringing the caffeine shot to the mix
• Milk plays a big part of this drink, and not just any milk but a combination of coconut milk and whole milk, steeped in spices
• Top it all off with a silky, coffee flavored Italian meringue and shaved chocolate, you’ve got a beverage that will definitely make your morning MUCH brighter!

A great technique you’ll learn from this recipe is how to make Italian Meringue, which you can also use to frost cakes, make Floating Islands with, and even fold into your favorite fruit curd to make a light and refreshing mousse. Top your tarts or even Pumpkin Pies! I like the un-toasted version, but you can torch your meringue or broil it to achieve a toasty layer. Another great thing about this meringue is that you’ll notice there is no sugar added to the drink; the meringue and fudge provides all the sweetness you’ll need!

1. For Meringue: place egg whites in electric mixer with whisk attachment. Reserve while you make the sugar syrup.
2. Place sugar in saucepan and add water until the sugar looks like WET SAND. Cook over medium high heat, making sure to brush down the sides of the pan so the sugar does not crystallize.
3. Start whipping egg whites slowly, watching your sugar.
4. Cook until it reaches soft ball stage (240F on a candy thermometer or when a spoon is dipped into it, you can drizzle a consistent strand from it).
5. When egg whites are soft peaks, add sugar syrup slowly down the side of the bowl. Make sure to not hit the whisk attachment to prevent sugar from crystallizing on the sides of the bowl. Whip on high for 5 minutes until satiny smooth. (Meringue must be made before serving, but will keep in the mixer whipping on low of a while).
6. For Lattes: Prep mugs with a tablespoon of fudge at the bottom. 
7. Simmer coconut milk and whole milk with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, salt and vanilla.
8. Pour shots of espresso over fudge, layer with hot milk and top with meringue and shaved chocolate.

Calphalon is also sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter.  All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win a Calphalon Kitchen Electrics prize valued at $100 (6 prizes total).  The deadline is November 30, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!