A Nice Cuppa

The botanical name for chocolate is Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”.

One of the greatest pleasures of growing up in Mexico was being surrounded by wonderful food all around you and everywhere you look..even when you???re not actually looking for it.

Perhaps most of my most vivid memories are those that are remembered through scents and aromas. My parents like most others, loved coffee and had it as a ritual for breakfast, after lunch (which is our main meal of the day and usually around 3:00pm) and at dinners. My sister Yael and I always wanted coffee ..you know???to be all grown up. At times we got some hot milk slightly tinted with coffee but to be honest we never liked it much.

What we really wanted was hot chocolate, the children???s coffee! Mexican hot chocolate is a truly delicious hot beverage that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Mexican chocolate is frothy, aromatic and usually served in a beautiful ceramic cup. It is found in markets, restaurants, and homes. There are ???coffeehouses??? that serve only three things: caf?? con lecher, hot chocolate and churros (a deep-fried dough tossed with cinnamon sugar)

Typically, Mexican chocolate is made by passing toasted cacao beans through the mill and passed through again with sugar, canela (Mexican cinnamon which has a very distinct flavor and isn???t spicy) and toasted almonds. The mixture is grainy and must be left to dry before using it since all these wonderful oils must solidify.

They are sold commercially and frequently in the form of disks or tablets but people in many cities and towns go to the mills to create their own blend.

It is usually mixed with warmed milk or water then frothed with a molinillo. (a wooden ???mixer???). While there are many hot chocolate beverages out there I encourage you to try this and enjoy it with your friends and family. It is a delightful addition to a brunch and another option to serve with coffee. If you???re having a Mexican or Latin fiesta I recommend making caf?? de olla together with it. Otherwise an Italian roast would be a good option. Either way, when you try it you should really do so with some warm churros. By the way, these are also great with a cappuccino!

Commercial brands readily available in the US are: Ibarra
& Abuelita. The directions are directly on the box but I personally double the amount of chocolate.

An interesting idea you can do is utilize the chocolate to make a very tasty coffee variation.

Coffee and Chocolate Recipe

8 cups water
2 small cinnamon sticks (Mexican canela if possible)
2 whole cloves or 4 anise seeds (depending on preference)
4 ounces dark brown sugar, or Piloncillo
1 oz Mexican chocolate (Abuelita or Ibarra)
4 ounces dark roasted ground coffee

Bring the water to a boil and add the rest of the ingredients except for the coffee. Bring to a boil once again and skim any foam if necessary.. Add the coffee and lower the heat. Allow to cook for 5 minutes longer and serve.

You may add a bit of frothed milk or whipped cream if desired and enjoy it with some warm churros as well.

Note - If you can???t find the ingredients needed at a specialty store you could find it at www. mexicangrocer.com

Churros

Cinnamon sugar
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Mexican if you find it. You may grind canela since its easier to find.)

Whisk the 2 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

Churro Batter
1/4 Cup whole milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs

3 cups canola oil (for frying)

Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in heavy medium saucepan, and stir until sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until shiny dough mass forms and pulls away from the sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to large bowl and cool 5-10 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next one and continue beating until smooth, shiny, sticky paste forms. (Can be made about 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat to about 350??F. Working in batches, spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe batter into hot oil in 3 1/2- to 4-inch-long ribbons (use knife or scissors to cut batter at end of star tip) and allow batter to slide into oil, being careful not to splatter. Fry churros until light brown (there shouldn???t be many bubbles remaining). Transfer with slotted spoon or ???spider??? to paper towels or brown paper bags (these are great for absorbing excess oil. Cool 5 minutes, then toss in cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm with the hot chocolate and or coffee. Enjoy!