Mexican Drinking Chocolate

Intro: Mexican Drinking Chocolate

Velvety, rich, decadent, spicy drinking chocolate. It's more than a drink - it's dessert!

How could you go wrong?

I discovered this stuff a few years ago thanks to some friends and a wonderful little place here in Louisville called Coco's Chocolate Cafe. This is my version of their signature drink. Feel free to dress it down or up based on your personal preferences. :D

If you're curious about how good it is - I'm lactose intolerant, but I will have a bit of it when I make it. It's so delicious I'm willing to suffer the consequences.

STEP 1: Ingredients and Supplies!

• one cup milk
• one cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream for making whipped cream
• salt
• sugar
• cayenne pepper or chili powder
• one 3.5 oz bar dark chocolate, broken into squares or large bits

Note that you can use only milk - it just won't be quite as velvety. Also, chili powder tastes the best, but I tend to use cayenne for maximum spiciness. Sugar in this recipe is all about your personal taste.

STEP 2: Warm the Milk and Cream.

Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan and set it over medium-low heat. Really, the lower the better... you do not want to scald or boil the milk.

You'll want to stir it every few minutes until you begin to see tin bubbles forming around the edges and steam coming from the pot.

STEP 3: Make the Whipped Cream.

Add 1/4 cup of whipping cream to a bowl, about 1 tbsp of sugar, and whisk your arm off. 

This is a great thing to do while waiting on the milk to get hot... just make sure to take a break from whisking every so often to stir the milk.

The pictures show the process.

STEP 4: Add the Chocolate to the Hot Milk & Cream.

Add the chocolate little by little into the cream, lowering the heat if necessary to keep it from boiling, stirring or whisking constantly.

When done it should look like the last photo.

STEP 5: Add Salt, Sugar and Cayenne or Chili Powder!

Add a good pinch of salt, a pinch of your preferred spice, and about 1 tbsp of sugar to start.

Mix all those in, and give it a taste. I normally add more cayenne and a bit more sugar - it all depends on how dark your chocolate is.

STEP 6: Serve!

Pour into cups and devour!

If you have some espresso cups, you should definitely use those. It's hard to drink very much of this because it's so rich. Based on how big your cups are, you can serve 4-8 people.

Top with whipped cream and put the sugar out for those who like their drinks sweeter.

STEP 7: Update: Stores Well in the Fridge!

Normally, there are no leftovers. But when you makes this for just a couple of people, there's tons!

I was able to store this in the fridge for three days and it still tasted great and reheated well. Plus, when it's chilled it turns into a slightly runny pudding, and it's delicious that way too. :D

Comments

[LokiArmies2]

made some this morning like coffee, it's delicious! Thank you

[maltesergr8]

YUMMM!!

[D00M99]

How long do you need to reheat it in the microwave?

[jessyratfink]

It was very quick - maybe 1:30 per cup? I can't remember exactly now. :P

[BlueSalomon]

OK the mexican's ingredients

chocolate
cinnamon
sugar
water or milk

[oba fo]

Well looks good, but it si not mexican just because it has pepper or chili. Try to taste a really chocolate de agua from Oaxaca mexican country.

[Ignacio_Ramirez]

Well, Oaxaca is a state, but Hear Hear!

[oba fo]

Uh O.k sorry. What is the meaning of "but Hear Hear"? And which is the difference between a City, country, and a State? I´m learning english :)

[HollyHarken]

Since you are lactose intolerant I would suggest either taking some Lactaid pills or the once a day kind from Digestive Advantage. I am lactose intolerant as well and I find the once a day pill to be the best bet. This sounds like a yummy way to drink hot chocolate. With Winter heading our way here in the North East this recipe will come in handy. Thanks for posting it!

[Ignacio_Ramirez]

Don't worry about the milk, as the real old Mexican way doesn't include milk products but as an option. Dissolve dark baking chocolate in boiling water, add some tea-making herbs or SWEET spices (We Mexicans don't consider hot pepper a sweet spice), then drink in teacups.

What's up with people thinking that adding hot pepper makes things Mexican? Does eating hotdogs, denying evolution and climate change and being warmongers make people US citizens?

[iminthebathroom]

Looks awesome, when my wife came back from Ba-ha she brought back Mexican chocolate for just this purpose, you know the round disks you snap in 6 pieces. Anyway, what ever you do, don't store it beside laundry detergent - another thing she loved the smell of "Mexican brand powdered laundry detergent. Anyway - the hot chocolate ended up tasting like soap, we will try your version - pass on the suds...

[Ignacio_Ramirez]

Real Mexican table chocolate (those disks) is supposed to be dissolved in boiling water (needs to boil for a while for it to truly dissolve, and may accept a lil' bit of cinnamon or other SWEET spices), then mixed with whole milk or cream-milk when being served. Modern Mexicans often dissolve it in milk to begin with, to it still has to be carefully boiled for it to dissolve properly.
Don't waste good choc on this instructions: they are pure ultra-fat chicanery!

[jessyratfink]

Oh dear, that sounds like quite the adventure. :P

[Ignacio_Ramirez]

Too bad this is extremely inaccurate: real Mexican chocolate needs to boil for several minutes for it to even dissolve completely. Never mind the sloppy mess of trying to swallow that triple-creamy mess, considering that, while modern Mexicans do make it in milk, table chocolate is supposed to be dissolved in water.

[danny6114]

Nice manicure too!

[lambsb]

I need a cup of this sitting next to Scooch's Krispy Kreme doughnuts. MMMMMMM....

[A P3RS0N]

Call it heresy if you wish, but does canned whipped cream suffice?

[AussieAnglerGal]

wow great idea with the whipped cream, i use an electric beater but i end up using like half a cup of sugar to get it thick and fluffy, your method looks great!

[jessyratfink]

I'm normally too lazy to get the hand mixer out, haha. Plus, it's loud and my house is loud enough with two cats and a dog. :P

[AussieAnglerGal]

hahaha, well i'll defiantly be trying this method! its cool