My Mexican Hot Chocolate – Atole
I have many fond memories of Mexican hot chocolate and atole. The first time I drank it was in Chihuahua, Mexico. We were on a road trip, of sorts. My Father had a string of revival meetings in Mexico, he was traveling with his worship leader, and a band, in two vans, and Joy and I came along. She was in the band, and I prayed for the sick. I turned 15 on that trip, my Father sent us to a seamstress, in Mexico, and we had dresses made – another life.
I digress, the house we stayed at, in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, was owned by a family that had a tortilla factory, in an adjacent building. It was one of those wonderful houses, built in the Spanish style, with every room looking out onto a courtyard. Every morning, for breakfast, they would bring in fresh tortilla’s, from the factory. This is where I learned to appreciate corn tortillas, fresh tortillas are nothing like what we eat from a store bought package. Along with the mounds of tortillas, there was wonderful white cheese, which was rich and creamy, and hot, steaming cups of atole. Oddly, they would also often buy Kentucky Fried Chicken, for breakfast. They loved this chicken, but I also think they thought it was an American thing to serve us.
In Mexico, hot chocolate is a whipped, rich beverage, containing eggs and atole, it is a thicker drink, which can be seasoned with various things, and is served on the Day of the Dead. I have combined the two drinks to create a very rich hot chocolate – the kind you would like to serve after a late autumn walk, or an evening of Christmas caroling.
You could serve this with cookies or cake, but I prefer buttered bread or crackers, that you can dip into the chocolate, warming the butter, and tasting delight!
Ingredients:
Cocoa Powder – 1 tablespoon per cup of milk
Milk – 1 cup per person
I use 1 can of undiluted evaporated milk, and then use regular milk to make up the rest of needed milk
Sugar – 1 tablespoon per cup of milk
Butter – ½ teaspoon per cup
A pinch of Salt
Corn Starch – ½ teaspoon per cup of milk
Vanilla – ½ teaspoon per cup of milk
Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon per cup of milk
Nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon per cup of milk
Whip Cream, because you can!
Directions:
In a saucepan, mix the dry ingredients, with a whisk. Pour in milk, and mix well, until the dry ingredients dissolve. Put pan on top of stove, over low heat, and continue to stir constantly, with the whisk. The chocolate will thicken, like an atole, and be whipped like the hot chocolate. For thicker drink, add more cornstarch; and for a richer beverage, increase any ingredient.
