Merry Majolica Christmas And How To Make New Orleans Cafe Brulot

This is a reprint from last year for my friends at Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Hope you enjoy it the second time around.

From Visual Vamp December 7, 2008:

The colorful Majolica in my kitchen always looks festive, and this year I put the little kitchen tree in my favorite pitcher.I'm kind of corny in that I spread a little Christmas decor around the house. And even more corny in the kitchen where I have fruit ornaments on a vintage feather style tree.
The stockings are kind of corny too. My dear friend Miss Anne made two of them, and gave me the third. I can never part with them for more sophisticated ones. I fill them with little toys and English crackers. I strung the fruit garland years ago.
This is last year's version.
I have decluttered the mantle quite a bit this year, and also cleared and painted the second wall filled with majolica and the rooster plaques. The chairs also got recovered.
I'll get out the antique Limoges plates with the crawfish on them, and the Cafe Brulot cups too, to set the table for Christmas breakfast.

Cafe Brulot

Ingredients:

• 1 orange peel, cut into 1 by 1/8-inch strips, plus 1 orange, peel cut into 1 long, intact spiral
• 1 lemon peel, cut into 1 by 1/8-inch strips
• 4 sugar cubes
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur
• 2 cups hot, freshly brewed, strong black coffee

Directions:

Light the burner under a brulot bowl or chafing dish and adjust the flame to low. Into the bowl place the orange and lemon peels, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick and orange liqueur. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a long-handled ladle, to dissolve the sugar and warm the ingredients.

When the mixture is warm, stir in the hot coffee, and ignite with a match.

Quickly, while the mixture is still flaming, hold the spiraled orange peel with the prongs of a fork over the bowl, and ladle the flaming coffee mixture down the peel several times into the bowl for a spectacular presentation.

Ladle the Cafe Brulot into brulot or demi-tasse cups, being careful to leave the flavorings (peels, cloves, cinnamon) in the bowl. Serve immediately while hot.

The coffee is prepared in and served from a special decorative bowl positioned over a flame, and the finale consists of the flaming coffee being ladled down a long spiral of orange peel back into the bowl. A Brulot ladle is specially designed with a small strainer at the end so that the bits of peel, cloves and cinnamon do not get served to guests. The finished beverage is served in tall, thin, footed mugs, often decorated with a full-length portrait of the devil, reference to the drink's other name, "Cafe Diabolique" or "Devil's Coffee," perhaps so named for the punch it packs!

My Brulot Pot and Ladle and Cups

Stop by and I'll make you a cup!