Mexican Frothy Hot Chocolate

Rita~'s Note:

Mexican chocolate is made from dark, bitter chocolate mixed with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes nuts. The end result is a "grainy" less smooth product. Chocolate is frequently purchased in "disks" although it is also available in bars and syrups. Two Mexican chocolate brands widely available in the US are Ibarra and Abuelita. Look for them in the Hispanic section of your supermarket. nearby. The key to traditional Mexican hot chocolate is the tool designed to make it frothy - a round, notched, wooden whisk called a molinillo but you can place it in a blender to get it nice and frothy. Or use an imersion blender to get it frothy.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 2 cups milk
• 2 ounces mexican chocolate
• 1 ounce dark unsweetened chocolate (optional)
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean , split lengthwise
• 2 ounces Kahlua (optional)

Topping

• whipped cream (optional)
• cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Warm the milk and chocolate in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and bean to the milk.
2. Stir whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture begins to boil. Remove from the heat and froth the chocolate with the whisk. Serve immediately adding Kahlua if desired.
3. Topping with optional garnishes.

Reviews

[breezermom]

Very, very yummy! I also used vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean, and I don't think it hurt anything. This was lovely. Made for Comfort Cafe.

[Strawberries and Roses]

Oh, yummy! I made this for our family game night tonight and it was really well received. My youngest son has already requested it (without the Kahlua) for breakfast, again, tomorrow morning! Thank you so much Rita. Yummy, yummy, yummy!!

[PanNan]

I wasn't able to find the real Mexican chocolate in my local grocery stores this week, and substituted regular unsweetened chocolate. I added a pinch of cinnamon and some sugar. I did have a vanilla bean, and used it along with the Kahlua. I used the immersion blender to give it a good froth. It had a lovely rich color, but unfortunately, even with the sugar, it was too bitter for me. I will try it again when I'm able to get the Mexican chocolate. I'm sure that will make a difference. For ZWT3.