Café de Olla

Name: Café de Olla
Yield: makes 6 1/2 to 7 cups
Ingredients: 6 cups water; 1 large (6-inch) piece canela, broken into 2 or 3 pieces; 2 whole cloves; 3 ounces piloncillo, chopped, or 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar plus 1 teaspoon molasses; 1 strip orange zest, no pith (optional); 6 tablespoons freshly ground dark roast coffee

December 14, 2011

Before roasters existed, coffee used to be toasted in ceramic plates and ground in hand mills or metates (a stone tool used to grind seeds and other ingredients) in small batches. Many small towns still prefer to hand grind their beans to prepare this aromatic spiced coffee.

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