Home > Everyday Gourmet > Archives > 2009 > January > 24 > Entry
Grown Ups Like Hot Cocoa, Too
I thought I was really sophisticated a few years ago when I added cayenne to my chocolate concoctions (hot cocoa, chocolate sauce for bread pudding, chocolate cakes and tortes). With only a little bit of research, I learned that the Aztec king Montezuma beat me to the punch roughly 580 years ago. He added just a bit of the spicy stuff to his xocolatl or chocolate elixir. According to Food Lover’s Companion, legend says that Montezuma believed that “bitter water” or xocolatl was an aphrodisiac and he drank 50 golden goblets of it each day.
While I don’t necessarily recommend 50 goblets of anything per day, recent studies have shown that chocolate, in moderation, is good for us. And, yes, it may even be an aphrodisiac. That’s why Valentine’s is the perfect time of year to give chocolate to your amore! And a pinch of cayenne might spice things up a little more. (Remember the book/movie Chocolat?)
When I was a kid and we actually got to have a “snow day” in Brownwood, Texas, Mom would sometimes make hot cocoa. This was never the prepackaged stuff. It was always homemade. We even had one of those nifty Mexican hot cocoa whisks (molinillo hueco). When I tried to recreate it as an adult, I realized that a slightly more grown up version with a bit of espresso powder and cayenne really warmed me up. Here is the recipe I use, which is modified from the Hershey’s canister recipe.
1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. high quality cocoa powder (Scharfen Berger is great.) Pinch of salt Pinch of cayenne 1/2 t. espresso powder 1 t. Mexican vanilla 4-5 c. milk Whipped cream
Stir together sugar, cocoa, salt, cayenne, and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.
Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped whipped cream.
Please send your own favorite chocolate recipe. Maybe I’ll follow up with a chocolate torte recipe, too.
Happy Cooking nad Eating!
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By Carl Hoover
January 28, 2009 3:58 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
How much water do you add to the dry ingredients? Could you substitute strong coffee at that point if you don’t have expresso powder?
By Karyn Miller w/ Gourmet Gallery
January 28, 2009 7:44 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Hi, Carl.
I guess it would be good to know about the liquids, wouldn’t it? Whisk a small amount - no more than 1/3 c - water into the dry ingredients, just enough to get it all combined. There is something about the espresso powder that gives this an extra depth. I have also made this hot cocoa with not-so-strong coffee instead of water, and it was good, but not nearly as rich as that with the espresso powder. You can use instant espresso coffee, which you can find at HEB with the pre-ground coffees. I have Medaglia D’oro and it worked well in my hot cocoa as well as in a mix that my daughter gave to her teachers at Christmas.
Thank you for reading the blog.
Karyn