Caramelo Macchiato Recipe
Espresso, steamed milk, caramel and a hint of vanilla
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Ingredients
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Espresso
Milk & Foam
Syrups & Topping
Optional
Method
Espresso
Prepare and pull espresso
Dose 18 g of freshly ground espresso into a 58 mm portafilter (or your machine's basket). Tamp evenly and firmly. Lock into the espresso machine and pull a double shot yielding about 60 ml in ~25–30 seconds. Transfer the espresso into a 10–12 oz serving cup and set aside while preparing milk.
Milk & Foam
Pour syrup into cup
Add 1/2 tablespoon vanilla syrup to the bottom of the serving cup with the pulled espresso (or pour vanilla into the cup before espresso if preferred).
Steam milk
Pour 8 oz whole milk (plus up to 1 oz additional if you want extra foam) into a stainless-steel frothing pitcher. Purge the steam wand, then insert the tip just below the surface of the milk. Start steaming to introduce a small amount of microfoam (a few seconds of gentle aeration) until the pitcher reaches about 55–60°C (130–140°F). Keep the wand slightly deeper to create smooth, velvety microfoam. Tap and swirl the pitcher to remove larger bubbles and polish the milk.
Assembly & Topping
Combine espresso and vanilla
If you added vanilla to the cup earlier, gently swirl the espresso and vanilla together so the flavor is evenly distributed but do not overmix to preserve crema.
Add steamed milk
Pour the steamed milk into the espresso cup slowly, aiming to create a thin layer of milk with a small cap of foam (about 1/4–1/2 inch). For a classic macchiato-style drink, keep the milk ratio lower so espresso is prominent; for a larger drink, pour more milk but keep some foam on top.
Caramel integration
Stir 2 tablespoons of pourable caramel sauce into the drink gently if you want the caramel mixed into the beverage. Alternatively, skip stirring and drizzle 2 tbs caramel inside the cup before pouring milk for a streaked caramel effect.
Finish with caramel drizzle
Top the foam with approximately 1 tablespoon caramel drizzle in a crosshatch or spiral pattern. If using, grate a tiny pinch of sea salt over the top to create a salted-caramel accent (optional).
Serve
Serve immediately while hot. Provide a small spoon or stir stick so the drinker can mix more caramel through the drink to taste.