Beverage Recipes
Mayan Hot Chocolate
If you have not seen the movie "Chocolat" rent it! - it is wonderful! I have looked for this recipe off and on for months and finally found it through e-mailing an Australian confectioner. This drink is as close as we can get with modern ingredients to the Mayan drink (from the movie) - it will cure anything from PMS to heart disease to a broken heart.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
- 5 cups light cream, or whole milk or nonfat milk
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 3 tablets Mexican chocolate, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey or to taste
- 1 tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Instructions
- Add chile pepper to 2 cups boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup.
- Remove chile pepper; strain for stray seeds, and set aside.
- In a medium-size saucepan, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Heat over medium flame until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves.
- Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick, stir in ground almonds or hazelnuts.
- Add chile pepper infusion, a little at a time, making sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.
Notes
This can be made and then chilled and served cold... but even in 100+ heat..it is sooo good in the morning. Better than coffee! I used more hot pepper than called for.)
Attribution
Terry S.