Mexican Coffee is Good for the Soul

It's a rainy, windy Sunday afternoon here in the north and I was just thinking what a perfect day to curl up with a good book and a cup of Mexican coffee.

Many Mexican coffee recipes I've seen make about 3 quarts of coffee. Unless you have a large family, lots of guest dropping by or a pretty serious coffee habit, that's just too much coffee.

I've pared down my favorite Mexican coffee recipe to make just two mugs full. Two mugs are just enough for me but you could share one if you wanted to or double (or even triple) the recipe.

Oh - and feel free to spike it with a little Kahlua or Irish Cream (which is my favorite).

Here's the recipe and then I'll tell you a few of my tricks.

Mexican Coffee for One (or Two)

1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
pinch of salt

Makes 2 cups

Put everything in a sauce pan and heat over medium-low heat until there's lots of steam but don't let it boil. Remove from heat and pour into mugs. Sweeten to taste.

Notes:

Since I usually only have skim (non-fat) milk in my fridge, I use 1/2 cup skim milk with 1/2 cup canned evaporated milk for a little more creaminess. You can use non-fat milk, whole milk, evaporated milk or cream in any combination to make 1 cup.

If I have already made a pot of coffee, I'll substitute the perked coffee for the water and add just a bit of instant coffee granules to make it a bit stronger.

Pour some kahlua or irish cream into the bottom of your mug and pour the Mexican coffee on top (mixes it without using a spoon - one less thing to wash and put away).

Top it with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon or cocoa powder if you want to impress somebody.

There - that's how I make Mexican hot chocolate. Now I think there's a chick flick with Johnny Depp calling my name.

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