Mayan Hot Chocolate with Chile and Orange -

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Mayan Hot Chocolate with Chile and Orange

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By Mary Lou and Robert Heiss

Posted December 30th, 2007

This article is reprinted with permission from Hot Drinks: Cider, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Spiced Punch, and Spirits, by Mary Lou Heiss, (2007, Ten Speed Press)

Hot Drinks: Cider, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Spiced Punch, and Spirits

Servings:	2
Author Notes:	As early as 600 BCE, Mesoamericans living in Mexico and Central and South America drank a thick, strong beverage made from roasted cacao to which they added chiles, honey, flowers, nuts, or vanilla. This recipe is a nod to that tradition, combining chocolate, chile, and orange to create a flavorful hot cocoa with a piquant chile bite.
Ingredients:	1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (72% cacao), coarsely chopped 4 teaspoons Dutch process cocoa powder 4 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho or Chimayo chiles 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 teaspoons heavy cream 1 1/2 cups water 4 orange wedges for garnish -- 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks
Instructions:	Melt the chocolate in a 4 cup glass measuring cup in a microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power. Combine the cocoa powder, sugar, chiles, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Blend together until thoroughly combined and lump free. Add the cream and stir well to make a thick paste. Add the paste to the melted chocolate and mix well, then add the water and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat in the microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power, stirring once after 45 seconds. Serve in two Mexican pottery mugs. Squeeze 1 orange wedge into each, divide the hot chocolate evenly between the mugs, and stir well. Garnish with the remaining orange wedges and the cinnamon sticks.