I recently steeped a big batch of café de olla and although I usually look forward to reheating myself a cup later in the afternoon, today I was craving something iced, so I am making iced café de olla with the best brown sugar whipped cream.
There is something quite special about the warmly spiced Mexican coffee served over ice with a healthy pour of almond milk (or your favorite milk) and big dollop of brown sugar whipped cream. It’s warm, cold, sweet, spicy and creamy. Everything your afternoon needs.
Let’s get started…
The first step is to make a batch of café de olla.
If you are unfamiliar with this Mexican spiced coffee, it is sweetened with piloncillo (an unrefined whole cane sugar with beautiful caramel flavor), cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise pods.
The recipe is simple and you can find the whole run down here, but basically you are going to simmer 8 cups of water with 3 ounces of crumbled piloncillo, 3 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 star anise pods until the piloncillo has dissolved. Transfer the mixture off of the heat and add 1/2 cup of good quality coffee grounds and let it steep for 5-8 minutes, depending on how strong you want your coffee to be.
Strain the mixture and set it aside to cool.
Now that the coffee is ready to go and cooling off, make a small batch of brown sugar whipped cream.
Combine 1/2 cup of cold heavy cream with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Use a stiff whisk, electric hand mixer or frother to whip the heavy cream until it begins to thicken.
Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and increase the mixing speed until you have a nice softly whipped cream.
To assemble, fill tall glasses half way with ice and add enough of the café de olla to fill the glass about 2/3 of the way.
Add a generous pour of cold milk to nearly fill the glass. I love the way almond milk pairs with the other flavors in this drink, but any milk or even cream will work great here.
Add a healthy dollop of brown sugar whipped cream and if you have any extra piloncillo, crumble some dust over the whipped cream. This drink should look every bit as beautiful as it tastes..
I am a big fan of iced coffee, but there is something a little extra special about what café de olla tastes like served over ice and under a creamy dollop of brown sugar whipped cream.
Salud!
Iced Café de Olla
Ingredients
- unsweetened almond milk
- ice
Café de Olla
- 8 cups of water
- 3 ounces of piloncillo
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- 1/2 cup of coffee grounds
Brown Sugar Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the café de olla...
- Combine 8 cups of water with 3 ounces of piloncillo, 3 whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 star anise pods in a medium pot placed over medium high heat
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir to bring the piloncillo up from the bottom of the pot
- Once the piloncillo has fully dissolved, transfer the pot off of the heat and add 1/2 cup of coffee grounds
- Let the coffee steep for 6-8 minutes, depending on how strong you prefer your coffee
- Pour the mixture thru a fine strainer or cheesecloth and set aside to cool
Make the brown sugar whipped cream…
- Place 1/2 cup of cold heavy cream into a bowl with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Whip on medium speed until the cream begins to thicken and increase in volume
- Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and increase the mixing speed to medium high and whip until soft peaks have formed
Assemble...
- Fill a tall glass half way with ice
- Add enough cooled café de olla to fill the glass 2/3 way
- Add unsweetened almond milk
- Top with brown sugar whipped cream and enjoy!
