Scaling the Cliffs of Insanity: Brewed Cacao Recipe

Ingredients

Hot Water just off the boil
1 TBS (overflowing) Taste Arriba Cacao Tea

2 sugar cubes (or 2 tsp sugar)

Directions

Using an electric tea kettle, boil your water.

Pour boiling water into a 12 oz French Press to rinse it out and warm it up. Let it sit for about a minute then pour it out.

Add Cacao Tea to the French Press and just enough water to completely cover the grounds.

Start your timer for 8 minutes.

At the one-minute mark, stir the cacao and water with a wooden spoon to break up the "crust" then add the remainder of the water (approx. 8 oz total-I use a mark on my French press to help me know where to stop.

Add the lid with the plunger at the top.

While you are waiting for the cacao to brew add sugar to your mug.

Once your 8 minutes are up, push the plunger down into the French Press.

Pour the Cacao Brew over your sugar into your mug and mix with a frother for 10-20 seconds.

Add cream-don't stir.

Find a cozy spot and enjoy!

Now that you have the recipe and didn't have to scroll to the bottom to get it, I'm sure that you are dying to hear the story of how Brewed Cacao came into my life! It started many years ago! So many that I have lost count where I learned about a hot chocolate/coffee alternative called Crio Bru. I was intrigued but intimidated because it used a fancy device I didn't own- a french press. A friend of mine mentioned she'd make it for me so I could try it but, alas, that never happened. Fast forward to 2021. While visiting a different friend, she mentioned how much she loved brewed cacao and offered to make me some the next morning. She shared with me her process and how to make it and actually had me make it myself so I would know what to do. I was hooked! I literally went home from that trip bought a French Press and some Crio Bru and was off!

Since then, I have tried a few different brands and different cacao bean varieties to find my favorites. Initially I settled in on Choffy Ivory Coast Medium. I really loved the flavor of that particular brew. My brother Paul also introduced me to a brand they found in Hawaii called Manoa Brewing Chocolate.

Last Summer, Ada & I went to a chocolate Tasting at Taste in Provo and that is where I discovered my FAVORITE brewing chocolate up to this point- Taste Arriba Cacao Tea !

I have made Brewed Cacao part of my morning ritual. I love the process and sip it while I journal and meditate before moving on with my day.

Now that you have the actual recipe, my background on How & Why, Here's a step-by-step with pictures:

Using an electric tea kettle, boil your water.

Pour boiling water into a 12 oz French Press to rinse it out and warm it up. Let it sit for about a minute then pour it out.

Scoop an overflowing Tablespoon of Cacao Tea

Add Cacao Tea to the French Press and just enough water to completely cover the grounds.

Start your timer for 8 minutes.

Add the lid with the plunger at the top.

While you are waiting for the cacao to brew add sugar to your mug. I actually use Inulin but for my friends I us sugar cubes.

Also, empty your dishwasher that you definitely started the night before. I've timed it-It only takes 3 minutes to empty the dishwasher so even though this is a task that unreasonably everyone in my family hates (including me) Just do it! It will keep your kitchen so much cleaner just by doing this one simple step. Life-changing even!

Once your 8 minutes are up, push the plunger down into the French Press.

Pour the Cacao Brew over your sugar into your mug (preferably one that makes you really happy and that you might have purchased from an eccentric artist in Balboa Park on a vacation with your daughter.)

Mix with a frother for 10-20 seconds.

Add cream-don't stir.

Find a cozy spot and enjoy!

Then start laughing uncontrollably because your daughter loves how you've really committed to the bit and took process photos and everything so that your best friend can have her recipe at the top of the blog post and not at the bottom after all the long exposition about where this recipe came from in the first place.