I was at a cafe in Buenos Aires for merienda (an afternoon snack, usually consisting of coffee and pastries) a few weeks back when I spotted a drink the cafe called a “capuchino porteño.” Porteño is an adjective used for the natives here (literally meaning of/from the port, referring to Buenos Aires being a port city), and once I read the description of this cappuccino, I knew I had to order it. The key ingredient, unsurprising given its great popularity here, was dulce de leche. The drink was right up my alley, since I prefer my coffee drinks sweet and milky. When I found that our apartment in Uruguay (another dulce de leche loving country, by the by) included an espresso machine, I was determined to recreate this drink. It’s not a traditional cappuccino, although it does have the usual base of espresso and steamed milk; this is more of a dessert than anything, and in the Argentine style of desserts, it’s quite sweet. Dulce de leche is drizzled down the side of the glass and whipped into some cream on the top (this recipes makes extra dulce de leche whipped cream, but I’m sure you’ll find a use for it), and a sprinkle of cinnamon (cocoa powder would also work well) is a great complement to the caramel flavor.
