Cafe de Olla (Mexican Spiced Coffee)
Do you remember the first time you tasted coffee? I do and it was awful! I remember being a little kid and seeing the adults drink hot coffee or cafe de olla during the cold winter months especially around Christmas. I didn't know any better so one day I took a couple spoonfuls of instant coffee and mixed it with water. I took the biggest gulp only to regret it instantly when that bitter taste hit my little inexperienced tastebuds. I guess I was bamboozled by the adults it just seemed so comforting to hold a hot mug of this Mexican Spiced Coffee, little did I know that the coffee they were drinking was more than just black coffee. Cafe de Olla has a distinct flavor that comes from the infusion of cinnamon and piloncillo. Piloncillo is a type of raw cane that is commonly used in Mexican cooking, at least I think, I haven't seen it in any other cuisine. This type of sugar is unprocessed so it still has a golden brown color and tastes similar to molasses but apparently it doesn't have any molasses in it. So fast forward a few years later and I want to try coffee again, I poured a mug of this cafe de olla and after my first sip I was in love.
What I love about cafe de olla is that well for one it is sweet, but I love that it has this warmth layer of flavor brought on by the cinnamon and there is the hints of molasses throughout. This drink is perfect for those winter months when it's cold outside and need something to warm you deep into your soul. The recipe for cafe de olla is fairly simple, all you need is 3 ingredients, a pot and a little patience. But my lack of patience is what led me to come up with this recipe. Sometimes in the morning I don't have time to wait for my piloncillo and cinnamon to infuse my water and steep my coffee. I am a man on the go! When I need my coffee I need it now!
So to solve this problem I created a simple instant coffee recipe so when I have a craving for coffee I can just mix it with hot water or milk and be ready to go. I am going to be showing you the traditional way of making cafe de olla and also give you the instant version. Of course the traditional will taste better but sometimes you just have to settle for less!
To make the instant version you combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Whenever I make my coffee I like to mix mine with hot steamed milk to make a cafe de olla latte. It is delicious!
For the traditional method you will take your piloncillo and cinnamon stick and add it to a medium sized pot with water and bring it to a boil and making sure the piloncillo is completely dissolved. Then you will add ground coffee and cocoa powder and let it steep for about 5 minutes. Though a traditional cafe de olla recipe does not normally have cocoa powder in it, I like to add it to mine because it gives a hint of cocoa and helps bring out the rich flavors of the coffee.
Once the coffee and everything has steeped, strain it over a fine sieve or coffee filter and enjoy!
Instant Cafe De Olla
Serves: 50
Ingredients:
10.5oz Nescafe Instant Coffee
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
Combine all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.
Stir in 2 tbsp with 10oz of hot water. Use steam milk for a latte!
Cafe de Olla
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 cups of water
3 oz. piloncillo or dark brown sugar about 1/3 cup
1/2 a stick of Mexican Cinnamon
4 tbsp of ground Coffee
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
Over medium heat bring to a boil water, piloncillo and mexican cinnamon.
Remove from heat, add and stir 4tbsp of ground coffee and 1tbsp of cocoa powder.
Allow to steep for 5 minutes.
Strain over a fine sieve or coffee filter.
