Flaming liqueur coffee or “cremaet”: original recipe

The flaming liqueur coffee or cremaet coffee has grown in popularity over recent years, and it’s easy to see why. It is the perfect dessert to round off a well-deserved esmorzar or lunch (one of the identifying signs of Valencian gastronomy). For many palates, because of its flavour, aroma and shades, the flaming rum liqueur coffee has become unique and indispensable for the mid-morning break. It’s a treat that nobody wants to do without. 

But what makes a flaming liqueur coffee such a widespread indulgence? Probably its ingredients: coffee, rum or brandy, sugar, cinnamon stick and citrus peel (in some areas they also add honey to this combination).  As for its origins, it is said that it was a person from Castellon that brought some of the ingredients back from Cuba to the Valencian Community. However, this pioneer of the cremaet, was not a great fan of rum, and this is where the key point comes in: he decided to add coffee to the mix. 

This is how the famous cremaet came into being, a recipe that can certainly be made at home without any problem. However, to prepare a sublime cremaet you have to respect the three layers that it consists of: the first is the coffee crema; the second the black coffee and the last one is the flaming rum. Let’s look at how to make it.

Ingredients for a flaming liqueur coffee

These are the ingredients for the Valencian cremaet. The recipe and everything you need to know to prepare it are also below: 

• some coffee beans
• 40 ml rum
• 50 ml coffee
• 1 piece of lemon peel
• 2 spoonfuls of sugar
• 1 piece of stick cinnamon

How to make the flaming liqueur coffee

To prepare the flaming liqueur coffee, the recipe says that you should first clean and rinse the lemon well.  Then cut a piece of the rind (only the rind and not the white pith). In a coffee glass, add the piece of lemon rind that you have just cut, 2 spoonfuls of sugar, a piece of stick cinnamon, a few coffee beans and the rum. 

The next step is to put the glass in the microwave and heat the mixture for 30 seconds. Once hot, to flame the alcohol, carefully place a lighter flame near the mixture. Then, stir the mixture with a spoon until the sugar has been diluted and the flame has gone out. Either way, you need to keep stirring the mixture so that it doesn’t burn.  

After this, it’s time to add the coffee. Do this carefully because, as noted previously, you want to keep the different layers separate. So don’t pour the coffee directly into the glass, but do this by placing a spoon in the way so that the coffee pours onto that first and, by doing so, you maintain the composition of your irresistible cremaet. 

In this way, when you serve your cremaet, it will be perfect and ready to drink. All that’s left to do is to stir it all well and enjoy it, of course!