CAPPUCCINO HISPANO, A SIMPLE RECIPE WITH DEEP TASTE
Hi! My name is Mayra C. Peña. My family and I are coffee lovers. Our love for coffee took us all around the island of Puerto Rico, sampling lots of different coffees alone and in combination with other drinks.
Little by little, by asking in coffee shops, reading many books, watching vlogs, and videos, I realized I wanted to make my own coffee-based drinks at home and add my special touch. That’s how the @mayra.coffeeandmore concept was born!
Through our Instagram page, I present various home-made drinks. I would like my followers to know that regardless of how you prepare your coffee, what matters is that they and their guests enjoy the final product.
There are lots of variables involved in the coffee-making process. Without a doubt, the selection of the coffee grain is the most critical. For the drinks pictured in this essay, I selected Café Ama Love.
I chose Café Ama Love not only because it is a high-quality local product, it is a coffee with social impact. Its support of young entrepreneur programs like SEEDS helps our youth create their businesses and in turn, encourages the next generation to be prepared and break the cycle of poverty. Café Ama Love is an excellent option for lots of my recipes.
In this picture, we talk about a recipe I named: Cappuccino Hispano, a simple recipe with deep taste. I started by preparing a regular 6 oz cappuccino. To make this recipe, use any milk of your choosing. You will need a pitcher where you will steam your milk, coffee, sugar, and cinnamon. Since I have an espresso machine, I used it to make my recipe but any other equipment will work, too. I used enough coffee grains for one shot of espresso, which is equivalent to 8 grams of coffee.
My equipment is already programmed and gave me a good extraction with a bit of cream on top. Then, you add the sugar. I used a medium-sized iron pitcher and filled it halfway with milk to allow space for the foam. Whipped cream and cinnamon elevate a regular cappuccino to a Capuccino Hispano. Once the milk and foam are ready, I stir it clockwise to mix it adequately, and then I pour it in the cup with the espresso shot. Once I fill the cup, I add the whipped cream and the cinnamon. I assure you, cappuccino lovers will enjoy this version, also. For more recipes, check our Instagram page, @mayra.coffee.andmore.
Measurements and Directions:
- 1 shot of espresso (approx. 8 grams of milled coffee). I use this quantity to make 6-8 oz cappuccinos.
- 6 oz of steamed milk. The important thing is to create as much foam as possible, to make it an authentic cappuccino.
- Sugar to your liking. I usually use one sugar packet for a 6oz one and two for an 8oz one.
- Whipped cream, and cinnamon to your liking.
Using coffee to build business relationships
Being born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and since I can remember, coffee has been a part of my mornings. I studied my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Business Administration at Bentley University in Massachusetts and worked over 29 years in the financial industry.
Working in this industry allowed me to understand the importance of building relationships. As Puerto Ricans we are known to meet for “Cafecito” and when you work in finance, it becomes a necessary activity.
When I was first introduced to Café Ama in December of 2019, I was inspired to buy it as a corporate gift for my clients. The holiday season is a great time to thank those that have made your year better. I purchased Café Ama as a gift to clients because it is a coffee with a purpose. All of the sales of this social impact arabica coffee benefit students in Puerto Rico that are enrolled in the SEEDS Program.
My dream for Café Ama is to be able to sell it as a premium coffee brand that is known for its philanthropy (profits going into the youth of Puerto Rico).
Thanks to one of our SEEDs student's entrepreneurship projects, Café Ama Mothers' Day sales generated almost $3,000 to feed 290 families in Toa Baja, Guaynabo, Aibonito, Barranquitas, and Vieques. The coffee sales were used to distribute groceries to the families in the SEEDS program during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very proud of our small entrepreneurs, who are small in age but big at creating hope for Puerto Rico's future.
The ideal goal is to sell Café Ama all over the island, at airports for tourists to spread the word about its mission, and eventually sell it in all states that include “la diaspora” such as Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Texas, Washington D.C. and others.
Buying Café Ama is the perfect opportunity for all of us to contribute meaningfully and be a part of the journey of our youth in Puerto Rico.
Desiree Mieses is the Managing Partner at Lumiere Bay, she serves in the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation and is an Advisory Board Member to Friends of Puerto Rico.
Café Ama is available for corporate purchase, for more information contact us at info@friendsofpuertorico.org