mexican hot chocolate

growing up, there was an ice cream parlor close to my elementary school that sold mexican hot chocolate... i clearly remember the fantastic elixir with hints of chili and cinammon. my twin brother and i would treat ourselves to this luxury on our walks back home from school. we would soon forget about st. vincent's, the nuns, and the mischief. today, the ice cream shop is a bar-b-que joint and i cannot find that magical drink except in my own kitchen.

so, my fellow chocolate snobs! here is my invented nostalgic recipe from childhood....

mexican hot chocolate recipe
(serves a fabulous party of 12 with leftovers)

1. get 16 ounces of a great bar of chocolate that is 70% cacao or higher. i used bernard callebaut 72%.



2. immerse the chocolate into 3/4 of a gallon of milk over low heat. frequently whisk so the milk does not curdle on the bottom of the pan.


3. add four teaspoons of ancho chile. i used organic tsp ancho chile. this is from a fabulous spice company that you should definitely check out! keep stirring.


4. add three large cinammon sticks (and it didn't hurt to add two teaspoons of organic tsp cinammon).


5. add 1/8 cup of brown sugar to taste (you may want to add a tad more since i am not fond of sugary cocoa).


6. keep it on the stove a bit - - - you want the hot chocolate to absorb those spices. add a dash of sea salt to bring out the flavor a bit more.

7. now for the whipped cream! in a ceramic bowl, add a pint of heavy whipping cream and start blending on high with a hand mixer. add 1 teaspoon of organic tsp ancho chile and 5 teaspoons of powdered sugar (to taste - do not make this super sweet). keep blending it until it has the consistency of whipped butter.



8. put a dollop of the whipped cream in your cup of mexican hot chocolate and remember childhood.

YOU BE THE CHOCOLATE SNOB... RATE THIS RECIPE: