Description
My abuela spoiled me since I was little by making hot chocolate from scratch; no powder mix for us. She used these blocks of chocolate and simmered them in milk, which created a delicious beverage. As I grew up I discovered that when it comes to hot chocolate I like dark chocolate; the darker and silkier the better. I also like to add some spices. Here is my take on my abuela’s chocolate.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Milk
- 8 ounces, weight Chocolate (solid)
- ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar (if Using Unsweetened Chocolate)
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper Plus Extra For Garnish
- Whipped Cream, For Garnish (optional)
Preparation
1. In a saucepan bring milk to a simmer and add chocolate. If you are not using a chocolate that already has cinnamon and sugar in it, you want to add these two ingredients at this point.
2. Simmer until chocolate dissolves. Add the cayenne pepper. Once done, pour in a mug.
3. Top with a bit of whipped cream and sprinkle additional cayenne pepper over the cream.
One word describes this chocolate: delicioso. When you take a sip, you will get a all these flavors that really work together. You have the silkiness of the chocolate, and immediately you get the undercurrent of the cinnamon, and the bite from the cayenne pepper. And just when you think that it’s…it’s not. You then get the cold creaminess of the whipped cream, followed in the same sip with the heat from the sprinkled cayenne pepper. Yum! I just love a big cup of this chocolate caliente, especially when the weather gets cold.
