"He had decided to save fifty centavos to fulfill a dream he had cherished ever since he was a child: to have a cup of Viennese coffee. Through the windows of the Hotel Frances he had seen the waiters pass with trays held high above their heads on which lay these treasures: tall glass goblets crowned with towers of whipped cream and adorned with beautiful glazed maraschino cherries. The day of his first paycheck, he had crossed back and forth outside the establishment before getting up the courage to go through the door.
Finally, beret in hand, he had stepped timidly across the threshold and entered the luxurious dining room, with its teardrop chandeliers and stylish furniture, convinced that everyone was staring at him, that their thousand eyes found his suit too tight and his shoes old. He sat down on the edge of the chair, his ears burning, and gave his order to the waiter with a mere thread of a voice. He waited impatiently, watching people come and go in the tall mirrors, tasting with anticipation that pleasure he had so often dreamed of. His Viennese coffee arrived, far more impressive than he had imagined-- superb, delicious, and accompanied by three honey biscuits. He stared at it in fascination for a long while, until he finally dared to pick up the long-handled spoon and, with a sigh of ecstasy, plunge it into the cream. His mouth was watering. He wanted to make this moment last as long as possible, to stretch it all the way to infinity. He began to stir the spoon, observing the way the dark liquid of the cup slowly moved into the cream. He stirred and stirred and stirred... and suddenly the tip of the spoon knocked against the glass, opening a crack through which the coffee leapt, pouring onto his clothes. Horrified, Esteban watched the entire contents of the goblet spill onto his only suit before the amused glances of the occupants of the adjoining tables. Pale with frustration, he stood up and walked out of the Hotel Frances fifty centavos poorer, leaving a trail of Viennese coffee on the springy carpet."
Isabel Allende, The House of the Spirits.
After reading all of that, I had try it for myself. I did not have chocolate syrup or whipped cream at home, so I found other recipes for those.
Viennese Coffee
From Easy Home Cooking: All New Slow Cooker.
3 c. strong freshly-brewed hot coffee
3 T. chocolate syrup (see recipe below)
1 t. sugar
1/3 c. heavy cream
Whipped cream (Beat 1/2 c. heavy cream in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 T. powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.)
Chocolate shavings for garnish
Combine coffee, chocolate syrup and sugar in slow cooker. Cover, cook on low 2-2 1/2 hrs. Stir in heavy cream. Cover and cook 30 min. or until heated through. Ladle into coffee cups; top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
From Recipe Zaar, reduced.
1/4 c. cocoa powder
3 oz. sugar
1 dash salt
3 oz. water
1/4 t. vanilla extract
Stir together. Boil 2-5 min., stirring rapidly, until sauce begins to thicken. This must be stored in the fridge.