Mexican coffee shines with any type of meal

This tasty spiced coffee is an ideal beverage with Southwestern dishes of all types. It can be made with regular or decaffeinated coffee and can be served hot or cold, giving it great versatility for any occasion. It is so delicious that I serve it with all types of menus and always get rave reviews from my guests. I recommend making it in a very large saucepan, soup kettle or stockpot to prevent it from boiling over and making a huge mess on the top of your stove. I usually double or triple the recipe so that I have leftover coffee to store in the refrigerator and serve iced the next day.

Mexican coffee

Ingredients: 1 quart water; 1 whole stick cinnamon, about 4 inches long; 4 whole cloves; 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste; 1/3 cup ground coffee

Instructions: Combine the water, cinnamon stick and cloves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down just enough to prevent the liquid from boiling over and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the coffee, stirring constantly, and bring back to a full boil. Immediately remove from the heat and allow to stand for 3 minutes.

To serve, pour the coffee through a very fine strainer to remove the spices and all of the coffee grounds.

Makes 4 servings.

Each 1-cup serving contains approximately: 17 calories, negligible fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrates, negligible protein, 0 g fiber.

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