Healthy White Chocolate Latte

Healthy White Chocolate Latte

You just met my mid-morning snack.

Right on my desk, a spot of white light on a rainy, gray day.

White chocolate usually is one of those things nobody really needs. Nothing but fat, sugar, milk and flavouring.

I'm not convinced by the dairy free white chocolate either, because I think it's sickeningly sweet.

What's the point in stuffing my mouth with something that is just fatty and so sweet that you can't detect any other flavour?

Getting in as many calories as possible, maybe.

But that doesn't make sense to me, somehow, if those calories don't even really taste good.

White chocolate basically is sweetened cocoa butter. The fat of the cocoa bean minus the brown stuff.

And as fat is a carrier for flavourings, the cocoa butter has a lot of the chocolate flavour in it.

So why not use the real thing to indulge in some guilt-free creamy white mocha goodness?

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used organic soy because it gets so wonderfully frothy)
• 1/2 ounce cocoa butter, food grade
• 1/2 tablespoon erythritol or xylitol
• 1/2 tablespoon agave syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or scrape out 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 espresso shot (or 1 1/2 - 2 fluid ounces other coffee)

Preparation:

• On low heat, gently heat milk, chopped cocoa butter, sweeteners and vanilla until cocoa butter melts.
• In a small cup combine 1 teaspoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon starch.
• Increase heat and slowly bring milk and cocoa butter mixture to a boil.
• Meanwhile, prepare the espresso shot or coffee.
• As soon as milk mixture boils, remove from the stove, whisk in the dissolved starch and pour into a blender.
• Blend on high until you get a creamy, frothy mix.
• Pour into tall latte glass or a large coffee mug.
• Slowly let the hot coffee run down the side of the glass.

Enjoy!