We love coffee in our home. I am more of an instant coffee drinker whereas my husband is a coffee aficionado. So, this cuban style breakfast is perfect for us. Coffee with toast and fruit - it does not get any simpler than that. This is just perfect for a quick weekday breakfast. On the weekend, add a plate of eggs, some home fries and a big bowl of tropical fruit (papaya, mango, watermelon, etc.) and Enjoy!! Cubans love their coffee and make it in a special way. Cafe con leche, which literally means coffee with milk in Spanish. It is a strong coffee/ espresso that is mixed with scalded or frothy milk. The ratio is usually 1:1, but you can definitely add more milk. The coffee is then sweetened with a sweetener according to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy the hot beverage. Cuban bread is grilled until nice and crispy with butter. This sandwich is then dipped in the coffee or milk and eaten.
Ingredients
You need the following to make Cafe con leche:
Cuban style Espresso powder - Cafe Bustelo and Cafe Pilon are the recommended brands to use. Milk - I generally use 2% milk, but whole milk will give the best mouth feel. Feel free to use nondairy milk for a vegan version.Sweetener - granulated sugar or other sweetener of choice.
You also need a stove top espresso maker or a percolator or something similar to brew your coffee. To make the complete Cuban breakfast, you will need:
Cuban bread - either homemade or store bought. Though not traditional, Italian or French bread can be used as well.Butter - either salted or unsalted to toast the bread.Fresh fruit
Instructions
To make the Cuban cafe con leche, start by placing the espresso powder in the espresso maker . Fill the tank with about 1 cup of water. Place the percolator on the stove and heat till the coffee is ready, about 3~5 minutes. In the meantime warm your milk until very steamy. Keep aside. Put sugar in a measuring cup and when the coffee is ready, pour 1~2 tablespoons of it into sugar. Now beat this mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved and it starts getting light and frothy. This is the key step in making perfect Cuban coffee. Slowly pour in the remaining coffee into the sugar mixture and the foam or froth rises to the top. Now pour the coffee into the milk and top with a few spoons of the foam. Mix well and serve immediately. To make Cuban Toast: Split the loaf in half. Butter the inside of the both halves. Put them together and butter the outside as well. Place the bread on a hot sandwich press or panini grill.* Close and cook until the sandwich is golden and toasty. Serve immediately with coffee and fresh fruit. Enjoy!!
Tips
Cafe Bustelo and Cafe Pilon are the recommended brands of ground espresso to use in this recipe.Add more sugar or milk to suit your taste.Substitute store bought Italian or French bread to make the toast.The toast can be made on a nonstick or cast-iron skillet. Put a weight on the sandwich - a foil wrapped brick or a heavy can or cast iron skillet. Cook till the bottom is crispy and toasty, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat for another 1~2 minutes.
Few more breakfast recipes to try from around the world
Danish GrodMoroccan HarchaVegan Eggnog pancakesMofo gasy (Madagascar yeasted pancakes)Vegan Banana Rabanada (Brazilian French toast)Eggless French toastIndonesian Nasi Goreng
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