Different cultures have different tastes in food and different ways of preparing dishes that we all eat everyday. Even if they are made from the same beans, the very process they undergo transforms your ordinary cup of Joe into something more exotic.
Like the country from which this coffee gets its name, Spanish coffee is a complex brew. It is not something that one drinks in a rush. Rather it is meant to be savored and truly tasted. It is more than just beans. It really is a gourmet piece but isn’t really hard to make. Spanish coffee is a rich, delicious brew that truly makes ones day.
Try this recipe from Sweet Dreams host, Chef Gale Gand. It is a great drink to serve to your guests or just to enjoy for yourself. It makes a great break from the ordinary indeed. Do note that this is not an instant recipe.
Ingredients:
- Vanilla bean
- 2 cups sugar
- Wedge of lime
- 1 1/2 ounces orange liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
- 1/2 ounce almond liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)
- 1 ounce coffee liqueur
- 1 ounce cognac
- 1 1/2 cups coffee
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate shavings
Procedure:
A few days before you make the coffee, split the vanilla bean in half the long way, and place it with the sugar in a closed container. To make the coffee, warm 2 brandy snifters. Take the wedge of lime and run it around the edge of the glass to wet the rim. Dip it in the vanilla sugar. Pour the orange liqueur into the glasses and, one at a time, light it on fire and tilt the glass to caramelize the vanilla sugared rim. Douse the flame with a little coffee. In a copper saucepan place the almond liqueur, cognac and coffee liqueur and warm them. Divide them between the 2 snifters then top them off with more coffee. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a straw.
[tags] coffee,spanish coffee,Gale Gand,Sweet Dreams [/tags]
Originally posted on January 14, 2007 @ 5:04 pm