Mexican hot chocolate is one of my absolute favorite things to make in the winter. Growing up in Texas, it was a mainstay on “cold” weekend mornings....
We would buy pan dulce (Mexican pastries and breads) from a local bakery and dip them into the foamy, cinnamon scented goodness.
The chocolate comes in tablet form (the most common brands are Ibarra and Abuelita) and you heat the tablets in milk and traditionally blend the two together using a molinillo. This ingenious tool consists of a notched wooden dowel that has two loose wooden pieces. These notches and wooden pieces help to aerate the hot chocolate. Place the molinillo in the pot while the milk is heating and hold the handle between your flattened palms. Quickly rub your palms back and forth and the molinillo spins around in the pot froths the milk and blends the cocoa. When the chocolate is melted and the mixture is frothy….voila!
Let’s be honest, though. You can’t really find a molinillo at Williams-Sonoma. I only have one because I bought it when I was in Mexico and I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets. So what’s the next best thing to a molinillo? A blender! It’s quicker and it requires much less elbow grease. Just heat the milk and chocolate to a simmer, transfer it all to a blender and turn it on! Be sure to remove the cap in the lid of the blender and cover the exposed lid with a kitchen towel because the liquid is hot and will otherwise force the top off.
The blender makes a nice, frothy cup of Mexican hot chocolate. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and enjoy!
