Mexican Drinking Chocolate for Your Lover
As a gift for your loved one on Valentine's Day, candy is dandy and liquor is quicker.
But a gift from the heart--made by your own hands--is the most special gift of all.
The idea of making something for my sweet husband this year came to mind when I read a December post written by my fellow Al Dente scribe, Tracy Schneider. Tracy had taken a cooking class given by award-winning Portland-based cookbook author and culinary instructor Diane Morgan when Morgan was in Seattle promoting her latest tome: "Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving."
In her post, Tracy suggested that "Gifts Cooks Love" would not only be useful for holiday gift-giving, but for Valentine's Day, too. And boy, was she right!
"GIfts Cooks Love" (Morgan's fourteenth title), is a glorious compendium of gift ideas from sweet to savory and everything in between. You'll discover homemade jams and marmalades, lemon curd, and chutneys in the Sweet Preserved Gifts chapter.
Savory Preserved Gifts include Butter-Braised Onions, Pickled Cherries, and Arrabbiata Sauce.
As you might expect, you'll find all sorts of baked goodies for gifting such as Double Fudge Brownie Pops, Cinnamon-Coated Graham Crackers, and even Panforte. Yum!
The chapter on Confections & Chocolate Gifts is particularly decadent.
There are even chapters featuring No-Cook Gifts and Drink Gifts. The final chapter shows readers how to pull it all together in Make-a-Gift Kits that include a S'Mores Kit, Pasta Kit, and Retro Popcorn Kit!
Throughout, Diane's book abounds with gorgeous four-color photos and recipe headnotes and instructions oozing with her warm and encouraging voice, like a good friend guiding you through the gift-making (and packaging) process.
Mexican Drinking Chocolate
Ingredients
1¼ pounds (20 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (61 to 66 percent cacao), finely chopped
2¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream
2 soft, plump whole vanilla beans, split and scraped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon almond extract
Implements
Four (½-Pint) Decorative Glass Jars with Tight-Fitting Lids, Kitchen Scale, Cutting Board, Chef’s Knife, Large Heatproof Glass or Stainless-Steel Bowl, Measuring Cups and Spoons, Paring Knife, Medium Saucepan, Silicone Spatula
Irresistible, especially on a cold winter’s day, this hot chocolate drink is deeply rich, vanilla-perfumed, and chile-charged—an ideal gift for friends who ski, snowboard, or ice skate. You make the decadent base, pour it into jars, and refrigerate until it sets like a firm ganache. Tie the decorative jars with ribbon and attach a recipe card. Spooned from the jar into a warm mug, the chocolate is stirred with hot or steamed milk for an indulgent, après-ski treat by the fire—a cozy, delicious gift.
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Makes four (½-pint) jars of drinking chocolate
Wash the jars, including the lids, in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, run the jars through the regular cycle of your dishwasher; wash the lids by hand.
Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the cream, vanilla beans (seeds and pods), cinnamon, and chipotle chile to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Using a silicone spatula, press the vanilla pods against the side of the pan to remove any remaining seeds and cream. Discard the pods.
Immediately pour the cream mixture over the chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the corn syrup and almond extract, stirring until incorporated.
Pour the chocolate ganache into the prepared jars, dividing it evenly and leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and secure the lids. Label and refrigerate.
Storing: Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Gift-Giving Tips: Tie each jar with raffia or ribbon and attach a recipe card. To turn this into a gift basket, consider including small mugs or even cappuccino cups and saucers, along with a fine-mesh shaker filled with a specialty cocoa powder for dusting the top of the drinks.
Recipe Card: Create a card to package with gift
Mexican Hot Chocolate
This homemade Mexican Drinking Chocolate was made on [give date] and can be enjoyed for up to 2 weeks. To make a cup of drinking chocolate, use a spoon that has been warmed under hot water to scoop and measure ¼ cup of the chocolate into a preheated mug. Add ½ cup of hot or steamed milk and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle a little cocoa powder over the top. Serve immediately.
—From Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving by Sur La Table and Diane Morgan/Andrews McMeel Publishing
aaron on February 08, 2011 at 05:07 PM
When I make hot chocolate on the stove I almost always add a teaspoon of the hottest red powdered chile I have on hand, usually cayenne. It's always a winner!
Don't be overly skeptical. TRY IT! It's Yummy. Chocolate and Chile were made for each other. Mix porportionate to your tastebuds of course, with more in batches for friends who like it hotter, less for elderly relatives...
Don't use the brown spice blend with cumin commonly called chili powder. It's NOT the same thing. Use real powdered red chiles. I've also used Hatch and Chimayo reds in my cocoa with success.
A lipid emulsion, such as milk and chocolate, dissolves and distributes the oils from the spice, capturing the flavors and allowing them to mingle.
Alexandra Lopez on February 09, 2011 at 08:07 AM
I am from a Mexican family. and my Grandmother never used corn syrup. Pilloncillo is used in traditional hot chocolate and more often now I use agave to sweeten.
Aishwarya rai photos on February 10, 2011 at 10:07 PM
Wow that's really amazing Mexican Drinking Chocolate, I never use before but still my mouth is melting to seen that, thanks for given nice Mexican Drinking Chocolate recipe.