Rich and full of depth, chocolate and coffee are a combination made in heaven. Add a dollop of whipped cream or a fluffy cloud of froth, and you’ll revel in this joyous union forever. Mocaccino, popularly known as Caffè Mocha at your local CCD and Starbucks, is a drink that derives its name from the Red Sea coastal town of Mocha, Yemen, which was a dominant centre for coffee trade in the sixteenth century. Their coffee had an inherently chocolaty flavour, and over the years “Mocha” became synonymous with any type of coffee recipe involving chocolate.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Caffè Mocha is essentially a Latte (fancy term for the regular milky coffee we make at home) with chocolate. The standard formula is one third espresso coffee and two thirds milk with some chocolate. As simple as that sounds, Mochas can actually be quite complex because both chocolate and coffee have similar taste chemistries. Achieving the right balance requires exact proportions as one can very well overpower the other.

The commercial “coffee-shop” recipe calls for the use of Espresso (a type of strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans) and steamed milk. But since most of us do not own an Espresso machine or a steamer at home, the recipe here uses instant coffee, which we can beat to create a frothy cappuccino effect. This mocha coffee recipe is literally a breeze as long as you stick to the ratios.

Ingredients (for a single cup)

• Milk – 2/3 cup
• Water – 1/3 cup
• Instant coffee powder (such as Nescafé) – 1 tsp
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Cadbury Cocoa) – 1/2 tsp
• Crushed Chocolate – just a little sprinkling
  (Dark for Traditional Mocha, White for Marble Mocha)
• Vanilla essence – 1 drop (or extract – 1/2 tsp)
• Sugar – to taste
• Cinnamon powder (optional)
• Whipped cream or marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

1. Put coffee, cocoa, sugar, vanilla essence and a little water in a cup, just enough to make a thick slush. Blend the mixture thoroughly and keep stirring it repeatedly until it forms a uniform paste. Keep going for a few minutes until you notice an increase in volume and lightening of the colour of the mixture.

2. Boil milk and water together in a pan. Pour this back and forth repeatedly between two vessels from a height to give it a thick frothy top.

3. Pour the frothed milk into the cup containing the coffee paste and stir.

4. Sprinkle the crushed chocolate along the edges.

5. Optional – garnish the centre with whipped cream or a few marshmallows and dust cinnamon powder on top.

Serve with a biscuit, cookie or croissant. Enjoy!