Spiced with cinnamon, brightened with orange and sweetened with dark brown sugar. This coffee is rich, bold and an utterly luscious way to warm up!
Steeping coffee in boiling water is an old way to make coffee, sometimes referred to as Cowboy Coffee. I fondly remember my Grandad making the morning coffee using this method. He would strike a match and light the gas stove, bring the water to a boil then steep those coarse grounds. The aroma would fill the air as he poured up a cup before heading out to check on the cattle.
Now coffee is available at the touch of a finger. But this hot drink, with its roots in Mexico, makes it well worth the time to take a step back and slow things down. Start with a dark roast coffee, beautiful beans coarsely ground. Add cinnamon sticks, the peel of a fresh orange and cubes of brown sugar.
A short steep and the flavors of the coffee release while the cinnamon and orange are infused into the dark liquid. The mahogany notes of brown sugar melt providing a delightfully delicious layer of sweetness to the brew.
With a cup of Café de Olla in hand, cold weather doesn’t stand a chance!
Café de Olla
⅔ cup coarsely ground dark roast coffee
2 cinnamon sticks
6” to 8” strip of orange peel, about 1” wide
30 cubes brown sugar cubes, about 5-ounces or 1 cup dark brown sugar
4 cups of water
Strips of orange peel for garnish
Combine the ground coffee with the cinnamon sticks, orange peel and the brown sugar cubes in a small saucepan.
Pour the water in and heat over low until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has melted raise the heat to medium and bring the coffee to a low boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and cover tightly. Let the coffee steep for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Pour the coffee through a fine mesh sieve into a heat resistant container.
Garnish with a strip of orange peel – and it’s also delicious over ice! Makes 4 servings.
We used La Perruche® dark brown sugar cubes, found in most food markets and online.
Café de Olla
Equipment
- small saucepan
- Fine mesh sieve
- Heat resistant container
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup coarsely ground dark roast coffee
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6” to 8” strip of orange peel, about 1” wide
- 30 cubes brown sugar cubes, such as La Perruche, about 5-ounces or 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 cups water
- Strips of orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the ground coffee with the cinnamon sticks, orange peel and the brown sugar cubes in a small saucepan.
- Pour the water in over the coffee and heat over low until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sugar has melted raise the heat to medium and bring the coffee to a low boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cover tightly. Let the coffee steep for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Pour the coffee through a fine mesh sieve into a heat resistant container.
- Garnish with a strip of orange peel.
- Serve hot or over ice.
