Drink · High Noon Espresso
Dark chocolate and cherry campfire latte
Cherry, dark chocolate and a little chilli heat under an espresso.
Cherry sugar in the bottom, a dark chocolate and chilli infusion through the middle, and High Noon Espresso over the top.
What you need
- 2 shots Western Tamp High Noon Espresso
- 30ml dark chocolate and chilli syrup
- 1 tsp cherry sugar, to taste
- A pinch each of ground cinnamon and cocoa, for dusting
- 150ml milk, steamed to silky microfoam
- A few fresh cherries and dark chocolate shavings, to garnish
The roast for this High Noon Espresso From £11.95 How to make it
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Cherry sugar in the glass
Straight into the bottom, so the espresso lands on it.
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Pull the shots over it
Two rich shots directly onto the sugar, which dissolves as it goes.
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Stir the chocolate and chilli through
Warm the syrup slightly first and integrate it fully with the espresso before any milk goes in.
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Steam and pour
Milk to silky microfoam, poured over the infused espresso for a properly integrated drink rather than distinct layers.
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Garnish
Cherries, chocolate shavings and a dust of cinnamon and cocoa.
Why it works
Dark cherry and dark cocoa share fruity, slightly fermented aromatics, which is why they turn up together in so many desserts. Chilli does not add heat so much as length — it keeps the finish going after the chocolate has faded.
Worth knowing
- Go easy on the chilli. You want a warmth at the end, not a burn.
- Fresh cherries if you can, dried if you cannot.
The recipe card
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Everything on this card is written out above as well, so you don’t have to squint at a picture to cook from it.
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