Best Chocolate Caliente Recipes

CHOCOLATE CALIENTE - SPANISH HOT CHOCOLATE TOO

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the cornstarch. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Once the cornstarch is dissolved, heat the milk on medium heat just until it boils, then remove from heat.
• Add the chocolate and sugar immediately and begin stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and sugar is disolved. If the milk cools off too fast, place the pan back on the stove on low heat to melt the chocolate.
• Place the pan back on the stove on medium low heat, stirring slowly, but constantly. (Do not cook the mixture over high heat because it may cause lumping.) Taste the chocolate for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary. The mixture should thicken quickly. As soon as you see it thicken, remove the pan from the heat so the cornstarch will not thin. Ladle immediately into cups and serve piping hot.
• Note: Be sure to use a clean spoon every time you taste the chocolate. Enzymes from your mouth can cause a thickened cornstarch mixture to thin.

CHOCOLATE CALIENTE - SPANISH HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the cornstarch. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Once the cornstarch is dissolved, heat the milk on medium heat just until it boils, then remove from heat.
• Add the chocolate immediately and begin stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. If the milk cools off too fast, place the pan back on the stove on low heat to melt the chocolate.
• Place the pan back on the stove on medium low heat, stirring slowly, but constantly. (Do not cook the mixture over high heat because it may cause lumping.) Taste the chocolate for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary. The mixture should thicken quickly. As soon as you see it thicken, remove the pan from the heat so the cornstarch will not thin. Ladle immediately into cups and serve piping hot.
• Note: Be sure to use a clean spoon every time you taste the chocolate. Enzymes from your mouth can cause a thickened cornstarch mixture to thin.

PEANUT MERINGUES WITH HOT CHOCOLATE: CACAHUETES MERENGUES CON CHOCOLATE CALIENTE

Steps:

• Meringues: Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
• In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites, cream of tartar, and granulated sugar to soft peaks at high speed. Add the powdered sugar and flour, a third at a time. Whip on high speed to stiff peaks. Fold in the peanuts.
• Place batter in a piping bag, and pipe meringues into 2-inch long tubes onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Bake for 2 hours.
• Hot Chocolate: Chocolate Caliente: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Over a steam bath, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring with a rubber spatula.
• In an electric mixer cream the sugar and eggs and combine them with the melted chocolate. Add the cocoa and the vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and pudding-like.
• Butter a mini muffin pan. Pour batter into muffin tin, filling the wells almost to the rim. Bake until center is set, about 25 minutes. Let puddings cool in the muffin pan and then turn out.
• Place chocolate in a shallow bowl, heat for 45 seconds in a microwave, and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a meringue.

CHOCOLATE CALIENTE COOKIES

Steps:

• MICROWAVE 1 cup chunks in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Chunks may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until chunks are melted.
• COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add melted chocolate; stir until blended. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with foil.
• SHAPE dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on baking sheets.
• BAKE for 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set but still soft. Immediately place remaining chunks, about 5 to 6 chunks per cookie, onto tops of cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks. Allow chunks to soften and spread melted chocolate evenly over tops of cookies.
• TIP:
• For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute three 4-ounce bars of NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATIER 53% Cacao Dark or 62% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces, for the semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

CHOCOLATE CALIENTE

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a saucepan with the cinnamon sticks, citrus peels and vanilla. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and boil for 8-10 mins to infuse the milk.
• Strain the milk through a sieve into a jug. Discard the aromatics and leave the infused milk to cool, then pour into a clean pan with the cocoa and cornmeal. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, whisking now and then until thick and smooth. Divide between mugs and top with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE CALIENTE DE ESPANIA

Steps:

• 1. The chocolate needs to be broken down. It can be shaved by hand or a quick couple of pulses in the food processor or blender. Pieces should not be much bigger than a grain of rice. This is so melting will be smooth and not scorched nor seized up.
• 2. Pour milk, sugar, and add chocolate to a heavy pan. Heat over medium stirring constantly to keep from burning. Once chocolate starts to bubble, turn down heat and let simmer. Cover 15 minutes.
• 3. Check consistency. Chocolate should stick to the spoon but still pour. If too thick, add more milk and heat to a boil while stirring. If too thin, turn up heat and stir until desired thickness is achieved. Some people will also add cornstarch at this phase if too thin.

CHOCOLATE CALIENTE

Steps:

• In a saucepot over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil, add the chocolate tablets (the quantity depends on how strong you like hot chocolate), and decrease the heat, stirring until the chocolate is dissolved. Froth with a molinillo, whisk, or hand mixer until you have a nice bubbly foam and serve immediately.
• Chocolate Tablets
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the almonds and canela on separate baking sheets and roast, turning often, until everything is toasted; the canela should take about 5 minutes and the almonds 10 minutes (remove the canela while the almonds continue to toast). Remove from the oven and let cool on a plate. (You could do this on the stove instead using a comal or griddle over moderate heat but you'll need to pay close attention to it.)
• Lay the cacao beans in a single layer on another baking sheet. Once the almonds are done, put the cacao beans in the oven and decrease the heat to 300°F (the initial hotter temperature will give the almonds a nice roasted flavor). Make sure you move the beans around often so they roast evenly, and bake until they all change color and the outer shells begin to crack slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. The best test, however, is to smell them. Make sure you don't overroast the beans or they will be bitter.
• Remove the beans from the oven and let cool slightly so they are easier to handle. Remove the outer shells with your hands by pressing each bean lightly. Try a bean; it should have a nice roasted flavor and shouldn't be bitter, but may be acidic because of the tannins.
• Grind the cooled beans in a food processor for awhile until they are all "melted" into a smooth paste (you'll know what I mean when you get there; just be patient), scraping down the sides as needed.
• Coarsely chop the almonds, break the canela into small pieces, and add to the cacao, continuing to grind. Add the sugar, starting with 3 cups and add a little more, if needed, depending on the beans (the mixture should be sweet but not overly so). Continue grinding for awhile longer until everything comes together. The mixture should be smooth and slightly grainy.
• Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with a nonstick mat or wax paper, pour the chocolate mixture onto it, and flatten with your hands or a spatula (use a little cold water in either case so it doesn't stick). Make sure it is spread out evenly. Using a sharp knife, lightly mark the tablets to your desired size (I like to do 1 inch by 2 inches) with a ruler, dipping the knife in a container of hot water and drying it as needed so it doesn't stick. Allow them to fully set (usually overnight), then separate the tablets and store in an airtight container in a dry place. They should last about 3 months if stored properly. They may discolor with time, but this doesn't mean they are spoiled.
• Addiction to Chocolate
• The addiction to chocolate has created a lot of conflict and even some deaths. Don Artemio de Valle-Arizpe wrote a story about Bernardino de Salazar y Frías, a bishop from Chiapas who forbid excess consumption in 1625. Distinguished society ladies would drink chocolate at all hours of the day, even in church-their maids would bring the foamy hot beverage to them as they sat in the pews. Apparently they were very unhappy about the new restrictions: they say the bishop died from a poisoned cup of hot chocolate. It is still customary to say in Chiapas, "They gave him his chocolate," when someone is murdered.