BREWING TIPS: Alternatives for Cream in Your Coffee

September 15, 2008

Cream and half-and-half add richness, smooth texture, and great flavor to a cup of coffee, but what if you're lactose intolerant? What if you need to save a few calories with each cup? What if you're trying to save a few bucks?

Fortunately, there are many alternatives. Here we'll discuss rice milk which is, as the name implies, a milk-like beverage made from easy-to-digest rice. Commercial rice milk is readily available in the refrigerator section of most supermarkets and certainly in all health food stores. Varieties are offered in plain, flavored (vanilla, chocolate and others) and most are fortified with vitamins A and D and calcium, with much less fat and fewer calories than dairy products.

Because rice milk is a plant-based beverage, it has only one gram of protein compared to the eight grams of cow's milk. Carbs are higher, too, 30 compared to 11 grams, and the calcium is a mere 20 grams compared to the 291 grams. However, since most coffee drinkers who add milk or a milk substitute to their daily cup, these stats for one cup of rice milk, may be moot as the two to four tablespoons added to our daily cups is so small that it cannot be considered a primary source of calcium or protein. You can easily get both in your daily six to eight ounces of other protein and calcium sources (animal, dairy or plant or eggs, beans or grain)

Commercial rice milk also comes in both low fat and regular, yet the flavor is considerably more appealing for regular rice milk. Try to avoid those containing polyunsaturated vegetable oils or additional sweeteners (rice syrup or evaporated cane juice). Rice milk tends to be thinner than cow's milk but it does add a light, milky sweetness to coffee.

For the truly ambitious, especially those who are lactose intolerant but crave a milky taste to your coffee, consider making rice milk yourself. It keeps well, can be frozen (as a concentrate), and this recipe makes enough for 11 cups or about 2 ½ quarts, although it can certainly be halved or quartered for smaller quantities. A ¼ cup of the concentrate yields a considerable 4.5 g of protein, only 2.6 g of fat, and 1g of carbohydrates. Again, since you're using only a few tablespoons a day, these stats are mostly moot.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract or 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, for flavoring (optional)
1 cup brown or white rice flour, available in the baking section of your grocery story
7 ½ cups of spring, distilled or filtered water
1 rounded cup of brown rice protein, available at most health food stores
1 teaspoon EACH guar gum and xanthan gum for thickening; these are plant based items
½ cup sunflower or safflower oil for texture
2 cups honey, optional, for sweetening

Directions:
In a large 2-quart saucepan, combine vanilla or cinnamon, rice flour, and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a whisk. Reduce the heat to medium low, and continue boiling, about five minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture will become thick, and the grittiness will disappear.

In a large, heat-resistant mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and mix with an electric mixer until well-combined. Cover the rice mixture, allow it to cool, then mix carefully. Using an electric mixer (hand held or countertop), beat on high until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

This will create a concentrate; to use, mix ¼ cup of concentrate with ¾ cup spring water, stir and shake well before using. The concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, if stored in an airtight container; may also be frozen. Thaw, stir vigorously, then use as directed above.

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