Shortcut Mexican Hot Chocolate
Lynley Jones
Mexican hot chocolate usually starts with Mexican chocolate. If you don’t have it, here’s a shortcut recipe to get that chocolate/cinnamon/vanilla flavor you can’t get enough of.
(If you do have Mexican chocolate, use this recipe instead.)
Makes 1 quart
Ingredients
A frothy cupfull of Shortcut Mexican Hot Chocolate, scented with Ceylon cinnamon and vanilla.
4 cups of milk (whole milk makes the best froth)
1.5 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
3-4 Ceylon cinnamon sticks, broken apart for maximum flavor
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (if you can't find bittersweet chips, you can use semisweet and add less sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Whisk together the milk, sugar and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, then add the cinnamon sticks. Warm over medium heat, partially covered, until the milk is steaming vigorously but not boiling. Continue whisking occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
2. When the milk is steaming hot, add the chocolate chips and use a wire whisk to mix them thoroughly into the milk. Continue to whisk occasionally for 4-8 minutes (partially covering the pan whenever you’re not whisking), to allow the chocolate to fully melt into the drink.
3. Strain out the cinnamon sticks, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. When ready to serve, make the froth on top of the chocolate by spinning a wire whisk (or Mexican molinillo!) back and forth vigorously between your hands. As it agitates the milk, frothy bubbles will begin to form on top (as in the picture). Ladle into individual cups and spoon enough froth on top of each cup to cover.
Using my wooden molinillo to froth Mexican Hot Chocolate in one of my cooking classes. If you don’t have this special Mexican tool, a wire whisk works great as well.
Notes:
This was one of the earliest recipes I created for my after-school cooking classes way back in the day. It was a fun way to begin introducing the kids to foundational ingredients in Mexican cuisine, like chocolate, vanilla and Ceylon cinnamon.
Known as canela in Spanish and canel in French, Ceylon cinnamon has a lighter, brighter slightly floral scent which is less assertive than the cassia cinnamon more common in the US. The subtle nuances of Ceylon cinnamon blend well (rather than competing) with chocolate, chiles and other strong Mexican flavors.
When Americans see the word “Mexican” in a dish they tend to think “spicy,” but that’s not always the case, as in this recipe. The inspiration for this reciep is everyday storebought Mexican hot chocolate, often found under the brand name Abuelita or Ibarra. Its characteristic flavor comes from the combination of cinnamon, vanilla and Mexican chocolate. It doesn’t contain any chiles and isn’t spicy, but if you’d like to add a little chile flavor to your hot chocolate, by all means drop a guajillo or ancho chile into the pot in Step 1. Taste as you go and take it out when you like the flavor. (It will be delicious!)
The froth in Step 3 is the classic topping for Mexican hot chocolate, so don’t skip it! Children in Mexico clamor for good froth on top (there’s even a song about it!), and it also helps prevent a skin from forming, so it’s an important part of the drink.
If you’re new to making Mexican Hot Chocolate, definitely check out How to Make Mexican Hot Chocolate for lots of additional background and details.
Spices and ingredients used in this dish:
We get our organic Ceylon cinnamon straight from Sri Lanka, where it originates. Known as the real "original" cinnamon, it has a bright, mild flavor and is the cinnamon traditionally used in Mexican cuisine and many others.