Ask any German, and they will emphatically tell you they invented Christmas. Their hospitality and sense of pride are inspirational, from their German Christmas markets to their chocolate Santas, their gluhwein (mulled wine), and Christmas Stollen. No one does Christmas like the Germans.
One of my best friends, Jessica Lee, aka Baroness von Luxe, is German. Whenever I visit her meticulously appointed home on the North Fork of Long Island, we celebrate her heritage by making Rudesheim Coffee as the snow falls. This is the recipe she uses.
- Prep Time : 10 minutes
- Yield : 1 serving
Ingredients
- 3 Sugar Cubes
- 1 1/3 Ounces (approx 40 ml) Asbach Uralt Brandy
- 4 oz of Espresso or Hot Brewed Coffee From GoCoffeeGo.com
- Sweetened Whipped Cream (make with Vanilla Sugar)
- Dark Chocolate Bar For Chocolate Shavings
Directions
In Rudesheim they use special cups and spoons, and a LONG match to make Rudesheimer Kaffe... but you can manage with a regular cup. It's only slightly less spectacular, but still quite delicious.
- Drop the 3 Sugar Cubes into the cup
- Warm the Brandy a bit (either a quick zap in the microwave... or some say in a glass dipped in another glass of hot water)... then pour over the sugar cubes.
- Light it on fire with your long match (it's quite pretty, and a nice show in the evening)
- Break up the sugar cubes with your long spoon while it burns. (Let the flames go one minute)
- Pour Hot Coffee into the cup over the sugary Asbach until it comes to about 1/2 inch from the rim of the cup.
- Top with a Big dollop/spoonful of sweetened whipped cream (take the time to make your own whipped cream with a bit of sugar... vanilla sugar if you have it)
- Shave chocolate over the top (use a potato peeler, and scrape the edges of the chocolate bar... do it OVER the whipped cream, since transferring may be messy) May be served hot or cold.
- SERVE & ENJOY!
