Zafra
301Willow Avenue
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-610-9801
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“Age
of Discovery” Vanilla-Scented Hot Chocolate
From The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural
and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes by Maricel E. Presilla
(Ten Speed Press, 2001)
Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts milk or water
- ¼ cup achiote seeds
- 12 blanched almonds
- 12 toasted and skinned hazelnuts
- 2-3 vanilla beans split lengthwise, seeds
scraped out (Maricel prefers Mexican vanilla eans from Papantla)
- ¼ ounce dried rosebuds (sold
as rosa de Castilla in Hispanic markets)
- Two 3-inch sticks of true cinnamon (soft Ceylon
cinnamon sold as canela in Hispanic markets)
- 1 Tablespoon aniseed
- 2 whole dried árbol or serrano chiles
- 8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao),
finely chopped (Maricel prefers El Rey Gran Samán or Chocovic
Ocumare)
- Pinch of salt
- Sugar to taste
- 1 Tablespoon orange blossom water (optional)
Method:
In a heavy medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk (or water) with
the achiote seeds over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring
frequently. Reduce the heat to low and let steep until the liquid
is brightly dyed with the achiote, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, grind the almonds and hazelnuts
to the consistency of fine breadcrumbs using a mini-chopper or Mouli
grater. Set aside.
Strain the warm milk through a fine-mesh sieve and return it to
the saucepan. Add the ground nuts, vanilla beans and scraped seeds,
rosebuds, cinnamon, aniseed, and chiles and bring to a low boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from
the heat; add the chocolate and salt and stir until all of the chocolate
is melted. Taste for sweetness and add a little sugar if desired,
together with the orange-blossom water. Strain again through a fine-mesh
sieve. Transfer the chocolate to a tall narrow pot and whisk vigorously
with a Mexican molinillo (wooden chocolate mill). Or try
using an electric molinillo to make a spectacular frothy
head. Serve immediately.
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