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Mexican Hot Chocolate





Total Time
45 mins




Total Time
45 mins

Garnish mugs with whipped cream and shaved chocolate if you like. Romney Steele, author of Plum Gorgeous, created the recipe.

 1 1/2 qts. regular or low-fat milk
 1 pt. half-and-half
  12 in. Mexican or regular cinnamon sticks, broken into large pieces
 2 dried chiles de árbol or other small dried chiles, torn into pieces
  Zest of 1/2 orange, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
 4 tablets (about 12 oz.) Mexican chocolate such as Ibarra, coarsely chopped
 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
Step 1
1

Combine milk, half-and-half, cinnamon, chiles, zest, and chocolate in a medium pot. Scrape vanilla seeds from pods with side of a knife and add seeds and pods to pan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring often; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep about 15 minutes. Strain hot chocolate into a bowl, then return to pot.

Step 2
2

Heat to steaming over medium heat, stirring. Whirl in a blender in 3 batches until frothy and pour into a pitcher or mugs. Garnish with shaved chocolate if you like.

Step 3
3

Make ahead: Through step 1 up to 3 days, chilled.

Step 4
4

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories 375Calories from Fat 47
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 11g56%
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 105mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 45g15%

Dietary Fiber 2.3g10%
Protein 9.2g19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.