| Chocolate is a Mexican staple and the Aztecs used it | | | | featuring chocolate as an ingredient. |
| both as currency and food. They used to combine it | | | | Recipe for Mexican Chocolate Soup |
| with seeds, honey, spices and nuts to make delicious | | | | This tasty and unusual dessert recipe is known as |
| drinks which were enjoyed by noblemen and used in | | | | "sopa de chocolate" in Mexico and it clearly reflects |
| rituals by Aztec priests. Chocolate can be traced even | | | | the French influence on Mexican cuisine. A lot of |
| further back, to the Mayan times. | | | | Mexican recipes have French, Portuguese, Indian, |
| The Spanish explorers took chocolate to Spain with | | | | Spanish or Caribbean touches and Mexican food is a |
| them and it became the official drink of the king. | | | | combination of many cuisines. This Mexican dessert |
| Around the turn of the nineteenth century, hot | | | | recipe serves four people. |
| chocolate was made with sugar and milk in Europe | | | | What you will need: |
| and this mixture evolved into the hot chocolate we | | | | - 2 oz grated Mexican chocolate |
| know and love today. | | | | - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract |
| Before then, hot chocolate was rather a bitter flavored | | | | - 2 cups milk |
| drink rather than a sweet one. A lot of porcelain | | | | - 4 eggs |
| manufacturers at the time began making special | | | | - 1 1/4 cups sugar |
| ranges cups and pots just for hot chocolate because | | | | - 1 1/2 tablespoons slivered almonds |
| of its popularity. | | | | How to make it: |
| Mexican Chocolate Drinks | | | | Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook 1/4 cup of |
| Chocolate is used in Mexican dessert recipes but it is | | | | the sugar with the milk gently in a pan over a low |
| also used to make a variety of drinks. Since Mexican | | | | flame. Separate the eggs and beat the egg yolks with |
| chocolate drinks are so thick and sweet, they can | | | | 1/4 cup of sugar. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the |
| count as desserts too. | | | | milk and keep cooking it, stirring all the time, until the |
| A wooden whisk known as a molinillo is often used to | | | | mixture is thick. Do not let it boil. |
| froth Mexican hot chocolate drinks such as | | | | Stir in the chocolate until the mixture is smooth. Let it |
| champurrado and atole. A cold chocolate drink called | | | | cool down and divide it between four serving dishes. |
| tejate is a specialty in the Oaxaca region and this drink | | | | Beat the egg whites and sugar until you get stiff |
| is a frothy combination of cocoa flowers, dark | | | | peaks, then divide this mixture between four custard |
| chocolate and corn masa. | | | | cups. Put these in a pan with an inch of water in it and |
| Mole is a savory Mexican sauce which contains nuts, | | | | bake until the meringues are cooked and golden |
| chili, tomato, chocolate, spices and garlic. Only a small | | | | brown. |
| amount of dark, bitter chocolate is used to make mole | | | | Add a meringue to each of the serving dishes and |
| and this sauce is served with chicken or turkey. | | | | sprinkle the almonds over the top. A dollop of vanilla |
| Chocolate mousse, chocolate flan and chocolate | | | | ice cream would also be a good garnish for these |
| souffle are other examples of Mexican desserts | | | | Mexican desserts. |