Mexican Hot Chocolate (Champurrado)

There are many different ways to avoid candy today!

You can hide under a rock.
You can take up residence in a cave.
You can try some duct tape lipstick.

I choose to avoid the gaily packaged pieces of thigh padding by scheduling a dental exam first thing in the morning. Because I’m 50 shades of masochistic, that’s why! And because I don’t think I would look good in cave-wear or duct tape makeup.

But I confess that it’s difficult for me to go a single day without at least one spoonful of sweet, which is why I’ll be drinking champurrado tonight while I hand out my thigh padding.

Champurrado is quite simply masa harina-thickened, Mexican chocolate-flavored comfort in a mug. I love serving it at the end of meals because it’s surprisingly simple to prepare and goes down the hatch like a dream:  champurrado is a lovely digestif for eaters and drinkers of all ages.

Perhaps I should serve champurrado to some adorable candy-swilling kidlets tonight? We’ll see. But for now I’ll stick to serving it to myself. Take that, thigh padding.

Happy Halloween!

Mexican Hot Chocolate (Champurrado)

 

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Yield: approximately 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 c. whole milk
• 1 disk Mexican chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp. masa harina
• dulce de leche, cajeta, canela or cinnamon sticks, and/or a pinch of ground ancho chile for finishing (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the milk and chopped chocolate into a large sauce pan and warm over a low flame just to melt the chocolate, approximately 5 minutes. Increase heat and bring to a boil, simmering for just 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk in masa harina.
3. Pour into mugs and stir in a teaspoon of dulce de leche and/or a pinch of ancho chile to finish. Garnish with a stick of canela and serve immediately.

Notes

Chef’s Note: You should be able to find Mexican chocolate (popular brands are Abuelita and Ibarra) in the Hispanic section of any well-stocked grocery store where you would also be sourcing your masa harina. That said, if you can’t put your hands on Mexican chocolate, I recommend substituting three ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate along with one half teaspoon of cinnamon and one half teaspoon of almond extract for one disk of Mexican chocolate.

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