Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 heaping tablespoon instant espresso
- Pinch salt
- 2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, the best quality possible, grated
- 2 cups whole milk
- Vanilla ice cream
- Chili powder
Directions
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and add to the boiling water. Add sugar, cinnamon, espresso, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 1 minute and add the bittersweet chocolate. Whisk until it gets thick. Add milk and simmer 1 minute. Serve immediately with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of chili powder on top.
You may make this ahead and reheat. Make sure to either whisk it or blend it in a blender to make it light and foamy before serving. (The classic Mexican chocolate was whisked with a special wooden tool called a 'molinillo'.)
Photo: Hot Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate with Ice Cream Dusted with Chili Powder Recipe

















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By mikej22
Seattle
on January 18, 2012
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Very tasty recipe. However, as others have noted, 3/4 c. sugar is too sweet. I followed another poster's suggestion and reduced sugar to 1/4 c. and the sweetness was just right.
Either Michael has a sweet tooth beyond comprehension or the 3/4 c. sugar was an error. Once sugar is accounted for, it's a great recipe, worthy of 5 stars.
By ladyhawke3412
Vancouver, Wash...
on July 30, 2009
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This is a great recipe for mexican cocoa but i'd like to suggest adding 1/2 -1 stick of margarine and substuituting the chocolate with about 3/4 cups of baking cocoa.I don't use water either,just milk. I have been making it this way for years for my children and they love it! The butter thickens the hot cocoa and the baking cocoa gives it a great cocoa taste. Once you try it you will have a great traditional hot cocoa recipe to pass down and to entertain.
By mariah66_11512003
jacksonville be...
on April 26, 2009
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This Hot Chocolate recipe was soo very easy to make. I usually get a hardcore sweet tooth at night, and this more than took care of my cravin! In fact, I may even cut the sugar down a bit next time because it was a bit too sweet, I can't believe it myself! The chili powder on top gave great depth to the cinnamon that's added to it. I will make this again and again!
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