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Cortadito
Espresso with steamed milk
Cortadito: sweet, foamy Cuban espresso cut with an equal measure of hot steamed milk
Havana runs on small cups of coffee: a cafecito standing at a ventanita, a colada shared in tiny plastic cups at work, and in the afternoon or with breakfast, a cortadito, which is Cuban coffee cut (cortado) with roughly as much hot milk. The coffee is brewed in a stovetop cafetera, and the first dark drops are whipped hard with sugar into a pale, thick espumita that floats on top of the cup. The result is rich, very sweet and caramel-like, with a velvety milk body and a strong, bitter edge underneath. It is high in caffeine, so it is not one for children. The common mistake is adding sugar to the pot or stirring it in at the end; without the espumita you get a thin, flat drink. Beat the first concentrated coffee with the sugar until it turns light tan and holds soft folds, then pour in the rest. It is ready when a pale foam floats on the cup and the milk has been heated until steaming, with small bubbles around the edge but not boiling. Chef's tip: catch only the first 2–3 teaspoons of coffee for the foam; later coffee is too thin to whip.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cortadito
- ¾ cup waterfor a 3–6 cup stovetop espresso pot
- ⅔ oz dark-roast coffeefinely ground for espresso
- 3 tbsp white sugar
- ¾ cup whole milk
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Fill the base of a stovetop espresso pot with ¾ cup water up to the valve, fill the basket with ⅔ oz dark-roast coffee without pressing it, screw the pot together and set it over medium heat.
2 minStep 2: Put 3 tbsp white sugar in a small jug. As soon as the first dark coffee appears in the top of the pot, pour about 2–3 teaspoons of it onto the sugar and put the pot back on the heat.
3 minStep 3: Beat the sugar and coffee hard with a spoon for 1–2 minutes until it turns into a pale tan, thick paste that holds soft folds.
2 minStep 4: Meanwhile heat ¾ cup whole milk in a small pan over medium heat until it steams and small bubbles appear around the edge, then whisk or froth it briefly.
3 minStep 5: When the pot gurgles and stops, pour the coffee slowly onto the espumita and stir gently; the foam rises to the top. Divide among 4 small glasses and top each with an equal amount of hot milk.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cortadito take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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