Cocoa Spiced Chicken

Having chicken for dinner is not new. It's what you do with it that counts.

Chocolate is delicious as a dessert. It is also a delightful suprise when used as a savory flavoring on meats and poultry.

I baked this Cocoa Spiced chicken breast but it is also delicious when grilled. In keeping with the cooking for two, taking out a couple of chicken breasts out of the freezer and spicing it up with "chocolate" makes a special dinner. The addition of a salsa as a topper, in this case made with mangos and avocados makes this simple piece of poultry a complete dinner.

The salsa is the usual combination of diced onions, chopped tomatoes, diced mangos, diced avocados, minced jalapeños and drizzled with a mixture of lime and olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

To complete the dinner serve crusty french bread and a tall, cold gass of Tecate (Mexican Beer).
Spicy Cocoa Rubbed Chicken with Salsa
(recipe from the Southern Living Magazine)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
2 large chicken breasts
2 limes
2 teaspoons of honey
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mango
¾ cup large-diced tomato
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 minced jalapeño
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro


Preheat grill. Use an outdoor or an indoor grill.

Stir together brown sugar and next four ingredients plus ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub chicken with the sugar mixture, coating well.

Grate zest from limes to equal 1 tablespoon; squeeze juice from limes to equal 2 tablespoons. Whisk together honey, lime zest and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add avocado and toss to coat. Stir in mango, next 3 ingredients and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.

Grill chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees. Serve with mango-avocado salsa.

Boris the Spider Cake

In honor of Boris the Spider, I decided to make this cake today, Halloween. I don’t like spiders, but the Boris song (by the WHO) is pretty cool.

The cake itself is pretty easy to make, so is the decorating. I am disappointed that I resorted to using plastic spiders, but I couldn’t find the large gummy spiders I had originally seen at the bake shop. I bought little gummy spiders but they just looked like a little gummy glob of nothing. Now, if I had read Jenn’s left-over queen’s blog before completing this, I could have made my spiders out of prunes like she did. They look really cool – so life-like. Be sure and check out her blog to see for yourself.

Anyway, back to the cake. No recipe really, just a devil’s food cake mix, some Hershey’s fudge frosting or chocolate frosting of your choice. I used the Wilton Cookie Icing Ready to Use frosting in a bottle to create the web.

The spider eggs on top are brownie bites covered in melted chocolate and sprinkled with some black and orange sprinkles. If you have white cotton candy, you can wrap some around the eggs to make it look like a sack. I didn’t, maybe next time. The sides of the cake are just shaved chocolate from a Ghirardelli Bittersweet bar.

Making a holiday like Halloween fun for your family isn’t difficult. It’s fun with a little imagination. I love Halloween. It’s different now with the kids gone, but it doesn’t mean I can’t still have some fun.

Yeah, it’s a big cake for Bob and me, but I think sharing with our next door neighbors kids will be cool.

Happy Halloween everyone. Here's a clip of the Boris the Spider song just for you.

Other Halloween posts you might enjoy:
Rat’s, Cat’s and Witches Hats

Mexican Chocolate Capirotada

Mexican Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Popcorn

Espresso Muffins and Mexican Chocolate Frappuccino

Isn't this delightful? Originally I had intended to post this yesterday, but life being what it is, I got side tracked. Those beautiful espresso muffins come from the lovely Ms. Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice. I knew when I saw them on her blog that I had to make them for myself. The recipe was perfect. It made a whole dozen. No, I'm not going to eat them all in one sitting (although I could). I'll leave one or two for Bob.

The drink? It's my version of a Mexican Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino. The original recipe comes from the Recipe Zaar. And as we all do, I modified it to quench my own personal tastes. This recipe was also suppose to go up yesterday. My apologies to Megan from Megan's Cookin'. I'm sorry I let you down, but here it is. I hope you enjoy it. She's had some amazing coffee drinks on her blog lately which is what got me thinking about doing this one.

Hope you get the opportunity to give these little chocolate diddy's a try.
They are DELICIOUS.


Espresso Coffeecake Muffins

(Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice)


The changes or additions I made are in red.

1 and 1/2 cups flour (1 ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup ground Abuelita chocolate)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant Espresso
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 chopped almonds (I didn't have almonds, so I used pecans)
3 tablespoons flour
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter

Glaze (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl dissolve the Espresso in the boiling water. Add to flour mixture with the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine, don't over mix. Batter will be thick.

Fill muffin tin/baking cups 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle with the topping, dividing equally among the muffins, press into batter gently.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Drizzle with glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 teaspoon instant Espresso
1 teaspoon boiling water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
vanilla extract, a drop (1 drop Abuelita syrup)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk

Dissolve the Espresso into the boiling water in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and use a fork to combine the two. Add a drop of vanilla. Add the confectioners sugar and 2 teaspoons of the milk. Whisk until well combined. If glaze is thick add another teaspoon of milk. Whisk. Drizzle over the warm muffins.

Mexican Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
(original recipe from Recipe Zaar)

2 large glasses
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (Abuelita syrup)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (do not use if your using Mexican Chocolate)
1/3 cup strong coffee ** (I used my small French Press to make some VERY strong coffee)
1 cup ice
In a blender, combine everything but the ice, and blend until sugar has dissolved.
Add ice and blend until smooth (sometimes you will need a bit more ice).

Amazing how a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry can save you 3 to 4 dollars at the coffee shop!

French Press
2 rounded tablespoons coarse grind coffee beans
4 ounces water (195 degrees)

This will make 1/3 to ½ cup of strong coffee.

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"If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet?"

National Fudge Day

June 16th was National Fudge Day according to The Nibble, an online food magazine about specialty foods. And even though I had everything ready to go yesterday, Bob and I decided we needed to get out of the house and away from computers and stuff. We went to see the Star Trek movie. Yeah, I’m a Trekkie at heart. I think Zachary Quinto makes the PERFECT young Spock. I’ve always enjoyed Quinto’s character of Sylar in Heroes, but now watching him revive the Spock character was just the most entertaining time I’ve had at the theatre for a while, well, other than seeing Angels and Demons.


But enough about me. Let’s talk FUDGE. I’ve grown fond of watching Alton Brown on “Good Eats” on the Food Network show. Recently he had on a segment regarding fudge. I watched, I laughed, I listened to his comprehensive and scientific teachings on his cocoa and fudge research. He’s not only fun to watch but also has a way of teaching you a thing or two about cooking. OK, I was talking about the fudge. I wrote down his recipe for what he considers the best fudge in the whole world. I followed it to the letter using my candy thermometer and the proper size pans and ingredients. Long story short…I’m still waiting for the fudge to set. I’m pretty sure at this point that either I screwed up on one of his instructions, or….?

My plate is lonely. WHERE is the FUDGE???

Being flustered, I prepared a pan of Mexican Chocolate Fudge. I melted, I stirred, I cooled and I waited for the fudge to set, I cut into squares and took a picture (or two) and Alton’s recipe is still not set. If it ever does set, I’ll take a photograph and show it to you.

Meanwhile, please enjoy this recipe of Mexican Chocolate Fudge to commemorate Fudge Day (which was yesterday, while I was at the movies with my honey).

YAY! My plate is not lonely any more. It's got CHOCOLATE Fudge...Mexican Chocolate Fudge!

Mexican Chocolate Fudge
(about.com/candy)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 disc (3.1 ounces) Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Prepare an 8x8” baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine the marshmallows and chocolate chips in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the butter, milk, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to let the candy boil, stirring constantly, for five minutes.
5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla, mixing until well-combined.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.7. While fudge is still wet, sprinkle the chopped Mexican chocolate on top. Place in the refrigerator to set the fudge. Once set, cut into 1-inch squares to serve.
Look at how creamy and smooth it turned out. Sorry, Alton. But since your recipe STILL has not set completely, I guess I'm King (Queen) of the the (Fudge) Kitchen! :)

For a great bit of reading on the histoy and origin of fudge, go to the Nibble by following this link. It's very interesting.
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Check out a delicious recipe for BBQ Pulled Pork (Crockpot Style). Go to the Mexican American Border Cooking blog for the tasty recipe.






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Interesting Fact:

The Hershey bar was the first candy bar on the market in 1900. By the 1920’s, there were about 40,000 candy bars on the market.

Chocolate Sushi

Look at what I've been playing around with. Chocolate Sushi. We like to celebrate Chinese New Year's Day here at home. You see, we've got a very special member of the family that we celebrate with. Our niece Malia-Lin. My brother Jose and sister-in-law Linda adopted Malia at the tender age of 1 straight from China. She's an absolute love (she's 11 years old now) and smart as a whip.

The Chinese New Year begins on January 26th, 2009. It is the year of the OX. I was born in the year of the OX many years ago, so this celebration is very special to me.

I hope you enjoy this whimsical recipe of mine. It's quite tasty and makes a very cool dessert after a dinner of Sweet and Sour Pork and General Tso's Chicken.



Chocolate Sushi

1-cup long grain rice
1-cup evaporated milk
1 ½ cups water
1-tablespoon sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Combine milk, water, sugar, and cinnamon stick in pot. Bring to a simmer. Add rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Allow cooked rice to cool for 15 minutes. Cover a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Spread cooled, cooked rice in a thin layer over plastic wrap. Melt chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening in microwave for 1 minute. Stir chips. If they haven't completely melted, microwave for an addition 30 seconds. Remove from microwave oven and stir until chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Spread melted chocolate over rice on cookie sheet. Using a spatula, spread chocolate completely over rice. Being careful and going slowly, lift the long edge of plastic wrap until rice and chocolate combination start to roll. Start rolling towards the center, lifting plastic wrap out of the way. Continue to roll until you reach the end. Secure the roll in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until the sushi roll sets, about 1 hour. Remove roll from refrigerator and carefully unwrap the plastic. Slice into 1 inch slices and serve.

Hot Chocolate versus Hot Cocoa

Is there a difference? You betcha! You can’t tell by looking at these cups, but once you taste them the difference is amazing. Hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder that is cocoa liquor, the term used for unsweetened baking chocolate. The cocoa liquor is pressed and half to three quarters of its fat (cocoa butter) removed and then the remaining solids are pulverized. Hot chocolate (drinking chocolate) is made with by melting actual chocolate bar shavings in milk and cream. There is a distinct difference in flavor, texture and “mouth feel”. Some chocolate purist’s will only drink Hot Chocolate claiming that the dry cocoa powder when prepared as per directions is overly sweetened and losses it’s chocolate flavor. I believe that it is all a matter of preference. I’m certainly not going to turn down a cup of hot steaming cocoa if it is offered to me. But I did want to make that distinction to you. There is a difference. Which do you prefer? I grew up drinking Hot Cocoa and have since evolved to Hot Chocolate. But believe me, I’ve never been one to turn down chocolate in any form. Enjoy these recipes and have fun making up some of your own.
Bebida de Chocolate(Hot Chocolate Drink)

6 sweet chocolate squares (Mexican Chocolate works best)
4 cups of milk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place chocolate and milk in large saucepan. Heat over medium temperature until chocolate has melted. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into blender and process a few seconds at high speed until chocolate milk is frothy. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.


Cocoa Kahlua
(This is my favorite.)
1-quart whole milk
1 quart half and half
2 round disks Mexican chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup Kahlua

Break chocolate disks into wedges. Heat milk and half and half to steaming but not boiling. Pour into blender with chocolate wedges and vanilla. Blend until chocolate mixes into the milk mixture. Add Kahlua and pulse several times to mix in. Serve in mugs. (You can top this off with whipped cream and cinnamon powder if you like.) Makes 8 cups.

Frothy Choco-Mex Coffee

½ cup packed light brown sugar
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 large strip orange rind (no bitter white part)
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ½ cups hot strong coffee
¾ cup half-and-half, warmed
orange rind, cinnamon sticks, chocolate-covered coffee beans, for garnish (optional)

Whirl sugar, chocolate, rind, allspice and cinnamon in blender to chop finely. Add coffee. Whirl until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Add warmed half-and-half. Whirl until frothy. Strain. Serve in cups. Garnish with rind, cinnamon sticks, and coffee beans if you wish.

Mex-Mocha Coffee

4 heaping tablespoons dark roasted coffee
8 cups water
1-tablespoon cinnamon
¼ cup nutmeg
¼ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped Mexican Chocolate
1 cup half and half (or milk if you prefer)
1-teaspoon vanilla

Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the coffee grounds before brewing. Add water to your coffee maker and brew coffee.

Meanwhile, over low heat in saucepan, combine half and half, brown sugar, and chocolate. Stir constantly to melt chocolate and prevent it from burning. Stir in brewed coffee and add 1-teaspoon vanilla. Serve hot. Makes 8 cups.

Mayan Hot Chocolate
Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? This is like the hot chocolate that was served in the movie.

2 cups boiling water
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed (with gloves)
5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 3 tablets Mexican chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sugar or honey, or to taste
l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Whipped cream

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.
Serve in small cups and offer ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

Chocolate for Churro Dunking

4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk
1 tbsp cornstarch (also known as cornflour and is the powder that causes the thickening)
4 tbsp sugar

Place the chocolate and half the milk in a pan and heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about five minutes. Add extra cornstarch if it doesn't start to thicken after 5 minutes. Remove and whisk smooth. Pour and serve in cups or bowls for dunking churros. Do not pour over churros, but use the mix for dunking churros after every bite. Served warm.

Alton Brown’s Hot Cocoa

Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1-cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1-teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.
Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk

Copycat Starbucks Chantico Drinking Chocolate

2 bags (24 ounces) chocolate chips
5 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
1-tablespoon vanilla
Melt the chocolate chips in the milk and cream over low heat. Add vanilla.

There you have it everyone. These few recipes should keep you warm over the next month or two. Don’t be afraid to experiment with spices, flavoring, marshmallows, liqueurs, coffees, milk, cream and water. Till the next time, I wish everyone a beautiful and safe New Year filled with love, health, peace, joy and prosperity. Abrazos y besos.

Tea and Crumpets

I’m feeling very British right now, well maybe not. I actually didn’t make crumpets, but I did make these delicious Espresso Chocolate Chip Scones I found on Megan’s Munchies blog. I like Megan’s blog. The cool part, they are LOW-FAT! With all the eating I anticipate doing over the next couple of months, I gladly welcomed Megan’s recipe. Thanks Meg. You are one cool lady. You and Adam are doing a great job of keeping a watch over us foodies here and making sure that we don’t overindulge.

Of course I couldn’t just eat this delicious scone. I had to drink something with it. Hot Chocolate? Well, normally it would have been a given. But then I realized I would be defeating the purpose of eating this scrumptious low-fat scone. So I pulled out a box of CHOCOLATE tea I had been saving for the right moment. I couldn’t think of a better time than now.

I found this curious Mayan Cocoa Spice Tea at the Organic shop awhile back. It’s by Yogi Tea. The tea mix itself is comprised of cinnamon bark, chicory root, cardamom seed, ginger root, clove bud and black pepper. The chocolate part comes in the form of cocoa shells, chocolate and cocoa flavor, and cocoa powder. It was worth a shot, I bought a box. I set my teapot to boil and brewed up a cup. The minute I pour the boiling water over the teabag, the aroma just filled the air. I knew I was going to like this.

It’s been a week of reflection, transition and adjustment for me. So what better time than this to indulge in something so decadent yet so sensible. Go to Megan’s Munchies and check out her blog. You won’t be disappointed. She is a lovely lady. So for the rest of today, I bid you adieu. I’ll finish up the Tamales presentation on the Mexican American Border Cooking blog tomorrow. And I’m thinking…homemade Truffles for baby chocolate blog next time around. Big hugs to all.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Scones

2/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp instant espresso powder (use more if stronger taste is desired)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients. Pour into a pie plate and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
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Q. Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous?
A. Because no one wants to quit!

Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

It's always nice to have choices. While I wouldn't turn down pumpkin or apple pie for Thanksgiving, it's gratifying to know that I can have a slice of CHOCOLATE pie too.

This one is sooooo easy. That's my objective here. To make it simple, delicious, quick and easy for you. NO STRESS!!

Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

4 ounces Mexican Chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup milk
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) whipped topping, like Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie crust
Garnish options: whipped cream, chocolate curls, strawberries or raspberries

In a saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate in milk. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into graham cracker crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Garnish (optional) with additional whipped topping and a dusting of cinnamon. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Use Chocolate Abuelita or Chocolate Ibarra. If you can't find either Mexican chocolate, use German Sweet Chocolate and add cinnamon and a little almond flavoring to it.

Give CHOCOLATE For Christmas

Would You Like To Taste The World's Greatest Cheesecake?How about making it at home? We'll Show You How!
Memories of Christmas Eves past swirl through my mind with the smell of chocolate. I'm sure they do for you too. All that baking and cooking and hustle and bustle in the kitchen. Watching my Grandmother and my Mom hurrying to get the Chocolate Atole: Champurrado, a thick and delicious masa-based chocolate drink - almost like a healthy chocolate soup and (you can't leave this one out) the Capirotada (Bread Pudding) ready for when family arrived to start our holiday fiesta.

With the Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes Ecookbook, it's easy to turn back the clock and relive some of those wonderful memories created in your Grandmother's kitchen.
So now, it's your turn to make memories of your own with your children, family and friends.
But...times have changed, haven't they? So, how does this sound?
Mexican Chocolate Nachos with Fruit Salsa and a refreshing Mocha Milkshake.

Your kids will love you for making them feel so special. Of course if you don't have time and the kids are having a spur of the moment get-together, the recipes are easy enough for them to prepare for themselves and their friends.


Mi Chita's eCookbook was written with loving memories of my own childhood years. Sharing some of these moments in time have allowed me to keep celebrating my own cultural background and form new ones with my children.Friends and family that enjoy Southwestern cooking and traditions look forward to participating in creating new memories as well.



Mi Chita's does this for you, and more.
You get the story of how the greatest gift Mexico ever gave the world came to be. From the Aztecs to the present.
You get 25 specially selected recipes that guarantee to help make you the Mexican Chocolate Queen (or King) of the kitchen.
You get resources for buying Mexican Chocolate online.
You get a list of amazing books that are recommended if you are a true Chocoholic.
You get a beautiful photograph with every recipe.

Your ecookbook comes in PDF format. This means you do not have to be on the internet to access your recipes. The ecookbook is accessible to all operating systems: PC and Mac. All you need is Adobe Reader and most people already have that on their computer, but just in case you don't, we'll show you how to download the reader for FREE.

This ebook is Not Expensive. We could have had it printed and sold it for $10.00 at the bookstore.But we wanted to share something special with you and help you make new memories of your own.
So, we created Mi Chita's. Purchase it here, without waiting, at the low price of $3.95. That's right – three dollars and ninety-five cents!
Buy Now by clicking here to go directly to PayPal and as soon as your payment clears you will get an email showing you how to download Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate eCookbook and the Adobe Reader should you need it.

We encourage you to purchase Mi Chita's and share the wonderful recipes that you prepare in your own kitchen with your families and friends.

No kids around you say? No worries. Here's a couple of pictures of recipes you can prepare for yourself and that "special " someone.
Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee and Rum Mousse

Can you think of a better way to impress your boss, in-laws, co-workers or neighbors than inviting them to dinner and offering this sweet ending to a fabulous meal? There is absolutely nothing that compares to making someone feel so special, just don't tell them how simple it was to prepare. If they want the recipe, send them here. Before you know it, you and your Mexican Chocolate desserts and drinks will be the envy of All Who Love Chocolate.

FREE RECIPE from Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Dessert Ecookbook

Cupcakes with Mexican Chocolate Ganache

1 box cake mix prepared into 24 large cupcakes

Filling:
1 cup whipping cream
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Place chopped chocolate in mixing bowl. Combine whipping cream and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Let this mixture stand briefly and then stir until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Refrigerate until chilled thoroughly, about 1 hour. Beat chocolate mixture with electric beater until fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Ganache:
8 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over both chocolates that have been placed in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to melt chocolate. Cool for 30 minutes.

Assembly:
If you used paper baking cups for cupcakes, remove them from cooled cupcakes and turn cakes over (bottom side up) back in the paper cup.
Fill pastry bag fitted with a plain round metal tip with the white chocolate cream. Insert tip about a quarter of the point into the cupcake and squeeze the bag to fill with about a tablespoon of filling into the cupcake.
Cover the cupcake with ganache by spooning carefully over the top. If it doesn't cover completely, it's ok. If you do want complete coverage of the cupcake, you will probably need to make 2 batches of the ganache.

Finish off the cupcake by adding sliced strawberries or whole raspberries on top (or leave plain if you like, maybe a light dusting of powdered sugar is more to your liking).

This recipe and recipes for all the pictures shown (and more) are in the Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Ecookbook. The holidays are right around the corner and what better gift can you give to a chocoholic or yourself for the price of a cup of coffee? Hope you enjoy the recipe. There will be more coming weeks. BUY HERE

(c) 2008, Teresa Cordero Cordell

Mexican Chocolate Capirotada

As promised, this is the dessert I made with that second loaf of the pound cake I made a couple of days ago. Mexican Chocolate Capirotada.

Capirotada is simply Bread Pudding. Traditional Capirotada doesn't contain chocolate, by hey, I figured it couldn't hurt. Actually, I like this one even better, because of the Mexican chocolate of course. Capirotada is one of those traditional Mexican dishes often served around the holidays. And we're certainly getting close to those glorious days in a hurry, aren't we? So, I figure it's never too early to start my "traditional" baking. I really hope you enjoy my version of Capirotada. I added the traditional recipe at the end for all you non-conformists! :) Enjoy.

Chocolate Capirotada

8 slices of pound cake, cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/3-cup milk
1-teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 medium granny smith apple
1 cup Jack cheese, shredded
Chocolate Sauce*

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a glass-baking dish.

Place half the pound cake cubes into the baking dish.

Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon and brown sugar and pour half of this mixture over the top of the cake cubes in dish.

Sprinkle half pecans, cherries or raisins, apple, and cheese on top.

Add another layer of pound cake cubes followed by the egg mixture and remaining ingredients. Top with chocolate sauce.

Bake 25 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with remaining chocolate sauce if desired.

*Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup half and half
1 stick cinnamon
½ disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Combine half and half and cinnamon stick in medium sauce pan and heat to scalding. Lower heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick before using.
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Traditional Capirotada (Bread Pudding)

8 slices bread, toasted
3 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup toasted, slivered almonds
½ cup unsalted peanuts
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 medium apple, pared, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup Jack cheese, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350º.
Butter a square baking dish. Place four bread slices in pan.
Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour half of milk, eggs, and sugar mixture on top. Sprinkle with half of remaining ingredients.
Add another layer of bread and repeat as above. Top Capirotada with *Panocha Syrup and bake 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm or reheat, covered, for 15 minutes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Panocha Syrup:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients in a medium size saucepan. Bring syrup to a boil. Lower heat and simmer approximately 15 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon stick.

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Chocolate Quote of the Day:
"Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso." (Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.)
Spanish proverb

Birthday Crème Brulee

My daughter Lily just turned a whopping 19 years old this week. I was prepared to make her a delicious cake smothered in her favorite frosting. It’s always been some type of character or kooky looking creation. But, she informed me that this year what she wanted was Crème Brulee. This really surprised me because each year her choice gets more and more outrageous in what she wants as her celebratory tribute.

My son Michael ALWAYS wants a cherry cake. I don’t think he’ll ever change that. He’s had a cherry cake since he was a tiny little guy, and there’s nothing tiny about him anymore. He’s turning 31, also this month, and is 6’2” and weighs over 200 pounds. But mama always made him a cherry cake.

My baby girl has had a football shaped cake, a jukebox cake, a Barney (remember him?) cake, you name it and she wanted it. This year she asked for Crème Brulee. I asked her why and her reply was, “Well, Mom, you never have a cake on your birthday. You always ask for an apple pie. Why can’t I ask for Crème Brulee?” Well, made sense to me. I guess she’s growing up. She hates the fact that this is her last teenage year. “Why can’t I just stay 19 forever?” Oh boy. She takes 15 hours at UTEP and she works about 30 hours a week. She’s tired, she’s stressed and she wants to stay 19. Don’t we all wish we could keep them little forever?

So Mama made Crème Brulee. This picture is the one from my “Mi Chita’s Mexican Chocolate Dessert Ecookbook”. I didn’t have the opportunity to take a picture of the one I made 2 days ago because it was gobbled up quickly. But I wanted you to see a picture of it and know that the taste and creaminess of this dessert is heavenly. I hope you try it. It’s a very simple and easy recipe.

So, for my baby girl, “Happy Birthday my Angel”. May you reach all your dreams and desires and my God protect you when I can’t.

Crème Brulee

2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half & half
8 ounces (about 2 ½ disks), chopped Mexican Chocolate
8 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Cinnamon-brown sugar topping (8 tablespoons brown sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
Amaretto Cherries*, optional

Preheat oven to 300°.
Bring whipping cream and half & half to a boil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Whisk egg yolks and 1/3-cup sugar. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Strain.Divide custard among 8 custard cups.
Place filled cups in a large, deep baking pan. Add hot water to the pan to come ½ way up the outside of the cups. Bake until custard is set, about 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool 2 hours on a cooling rack.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Sprinkle each cup with 1 tablespoon cinnamon-brown sugar topping. Use a small butane fueled torch to caramelize the sugar topping. If you don’t have one, broil in the oven until sugar turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye though, sugar burns quickly. Refrigerate until set. Serve with a tablespoon of Amaretto Cherries if desired. 8 servings.

*Amaretto Chocolate Sauce with Cherries:

2 cups chopped Mexican Chocolate
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup Amaretto
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon instant coffee
Dash of cinnamon
Maraschino cherries

Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Place chopped chocolate in medium size mixing bowl. As soon as cream mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Stir in instant coffee and cinnamon and whisk until coffee is dissolved. Add cherries and allow to stand until cherries absorb the flavors of the chocolate mixture. Makes about 1¾ cups.

A Lesson in Chocolate History - COOL!

Aztec Chocolate Hieroglyphics

Discovered Aztec Hieroglyphics from the 15th Century are in the Chocolate Museum in Cologne, Germany. These relics depict the importance of the cocoa plant to the Native Americans who settled in Mexico around the 1300’s until the Spanish came in the 1500’s. Notice in the picture how the cocoa plant is drawn into the symbols of the painting. The cocoa plant is located center right. Just incase you didnt know, cocoa pods grown from the trunk of the "tree".


Chocolate as Medicine:

According to the article From Aphrodisiac to Health Food: A Cultural History of Chocolate, by Louis E. Grivetti:

From the 16th through early 19th century, numerous European travel accounts and medical texts documented the presumed merits and medicinal value of chocolate. . . Presented here is a brief “taste” of these rich chocolate-related passages from selected historical monographs. On inspection, these samples reveal that chocolate products were used to treat a myriad of human disorders:

Francisco Hernández (1577) wrote that pure cacao paste prepared as a beverage treated fever and liver disease. He also mentioned that toasted, ground cacao beans mixed with resin were effective against dysentery and that chocolate beverages were commonly prescribed to thin patients in order for them to gain “flesh.”

Agustin Farfan (1592) recorded that chili peppers, rhubarb, and vanilla were used by the Mexica as purgatives and that chocolate beverages served hot doubled as powerful laxatives.José de Acosta (1604) wrote that chili was sometimes added to chocolate beverages and that eating chocolate paste was good for stomach disorders.

Santiago de Valverde Turices (1624) concluded that chocolate drunk in great quantities was beneficial for treatment of chest ailments, but if drunk in small quantities was a satisfactory medicine for stomach disorders.

Colmenero de Ledesma (1631) reported that cacao preserved consumers’ health, made them corpulent, improved their complexions, and made their dispositions more agreeable. He wrote that drinking chocolate incited love-making, led to conception in women, and facilitated delivery. He also claimed that chocolate aided digestion and cured tuberculosis.

Henry Stubbe (1662) wrote that consumers should drink chocolate beverages once or twice each day to relieve tiredness caused by strenuous business activities. He reported that ingesting cacao oil was an effective treatment for the Fire of St. Anthony (i.e., ergot poisoning). Stubbe also described chocolate-based concoctions mixed with Jamaica pepper used to treat menstrual disorders, and other chocolate preparations blended with vanilla to strengthen the heart and to promote digestion.

The Aztec word for Chocolate:
I wrote to you about one of my new-found books, “The True History of Chocolate” by Sophie and Michael Coe in a previous post. In this book, Michael Coe, Professor of Anthropology at Yale, states that the word “chocolate” or chocolatl, has no real evidence of coming from the Aztec Language – Nahuatl. But, in citing Mexican philologist ( a person with an interest in the study of ancient text) he proposes that the “Spaniards had coined the word by taking the Maya word chocol and then replacing the Maya term for water, haa, with the Aztec word for water, atl. Coming to the combine word representing what we know today as CHOCOLATE – chocolatl.

I will leave you with this drink recipe. It is as close a facsimile to the original chocolatl as I could find and you could still enjoy.

Photo from Phoenix Magazine

Mayan Hot Chocolate
(from: Whatscookingamerica.net)

Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? This is like the hot chocolate that was served in the movie.


2 cups boiling water
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or
3 tablets Mexican chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sugar or honey, or to taste
l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Whipped cream


In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Chocolate Quote:
"Giving chocolate to others is an intimate form of communication, a sharing of deep, dark secrets." Milton Zelman, publisher of "Chocolate News"

Cuernitos - Little Horns

Cuernitos (Little Horns)

1 (8 ounce) can of ready to bake crescent rolls
1 (5.3 ounce) bar of LINDT, cherry chili flavor, 70% cacao, chopped
Mini-marshmallows

Unroll the crescent rolls and lay out flat. Preparing one at a time, place 1 teaspoon of chopped chocolate on the wider end of the crescent roll. Top with 1 mini marshmallow. Carefully roll the dough, slightly pinching the ends so that when the rolls bake, the melted chocolate doesn’t ooze out.

Bake rolls for 12 minutes in a 375-degree oven that has been preheated.

Carefully remove the crescent rolls, the Cuernitos, and lay on a cooling rack to completely cool off. If desired, make a simple white sugar glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk and drizzle over the cooled rolls. You can also melt any remaining chocolate and drizzle that over the rolls as well.



This is such a simple recipe that anyone can do it. Doesn’t take much, but it turns out a nice little dessert to have with coffee after dinner. I won't take complete credit for this creation. I admit I saw this in a magazine a long time ago while waiting at the dentist office. Can't remember the name of the magazine, but the picture stayed in my mind. So with a little tweaking, I recreated that picture and came up with this simple dessert just for you.

And that is what I did with my chocolate bar. Actually, I just found another bar, a Ghirardelli, but I’ll leave you guessing as to what I'll do with that one until the next post. Enjoy.

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake, or 3 Milk Cake, is a popular dessert offered in Mexico. With the growing population of Hispanics in North America, this delicious cake is now offered in ever growing numbers of restaurants across the United States as well.

Where it originated is unclear. Some say Nicaragua, some say Mexico. There are even reports that makers of evaporated milk developed this cake recipe to encourage consumers to purchase its product.

As food historians have noted, the 3 Milk Cake has similar characteristics to Tiramisu, Rum cake, fruitcake or even bread pudding, some of which originated in Europe. The main similarity is that the cake or bread is soaked in a tasty liquid prior to being served. So in their opinion, it is quite possible that the idea to create a “soaked” milk cake was fashioned after one of these delicious recipes.

The three types of milk that are poured over the warm cake are: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and whole milk or cream. Some pastry chefs have experimented with this recipe and have introduced additional soaking mediums. Some of these, similar to tiramisu, are a simple syrup infused with some type of liqueur, coffee, brandy, or rum. The cake is frosted with whipped cream flavored with vanilla, or any type of liqueur that you like.

But for the purpose of remaining authentic, the Tres Leches Cake is simply made with three types of milk.

Of course no one said I couldn’t make it in chocolate, did they? So, here is my version of a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, just for you. Enjoy.

{If you want the non-chocolate ((gasp!)) version of the Tres Leches Cake, go to my Mexican-American Border Cooking blog for the recipe. I know you will enjoy that one too.

Cake:

6 eggs, separated
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa
3 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cups milk
2-teaspoons vanilla

Tres Leches Sauce:

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 ½ disks Mexican Chocolate, melted (these can be melted in microwave oven for about 1 ½ minutes or over a double boiler)

Combine sauce ingredients and blend well.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly grease and dust with cocoa powder, 2 (9 inch) cake pans.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milk and vanilla.
Beat 6 egg whites until stiff. Reduce speed and gradually add brown sugar to beaten egg whites. After sugar dissolves, add yolks. Beat for 3 minutes.
On medium low speed, alternate flour and milk mixture to eggs until blended. Pour equally into 2 prepared cake pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
While still warm, poke holes into cake layers with a wooden skewer. Pour sauce over both layers and allow to cool in refrigerator.

Ganache:

¾ cups whipping cream
1 1/3 cups chopped Mexican Chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat cream in small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Place chopped chocolate in medium size bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir with wooden spoon until melted. Add vanilla. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Also place beaters in refrigerator to chill. Remove from fridge and whip on high for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency.
Carefully remove first cake layer from pan and place on cake plate or board. Spread ½ cup ganache on top. Place second layer over the first and completely frost cake with remaining ganache. Garnish if you like with edible flowers or chocolate covered strawberries or, as in my case, Amaretto Cherries. These are cherries that have soaked in Amaretto in the fridge for a couple of hours, drained and allow to dry naturally. Use your imagination to decorate this cake in any way you and your family would like. Enjoy.

Football Mexican Chocolate Butter Cookies

Here’s a recipe you’ll be making the whole season. These cookies are so delicious they literally disappear right before your eyes. The butter cookie recipe is one of my mother's. I have modified it to include some Mexican chocolate and boy are they good.

This recipe is so adaptable you can make it for any occasion and decorate it accordingly. Great tasting, easy to make, and unique. What more could you ask for? Enjoy the game. Oh, and if you missed the main part of my Game Day menu, go to my
Mexican-American Border Cooking blog to get the details and recipes. Go team! Yay!!!!!

Mexican Chocolate Butter Cookies
(makes 24 cookies)

1 cup of butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup Mexican chocolate ground to a powder
Royal Frosting for decorating*

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until blended. Sift flour, cocoa and Mexican chocolate into a large bowl. Combine with the butter mixture until dough holds together in a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill dough for 30 minutes. Portion out chilled dough and roll until it is ¼ inch thick. Dip football shaped cookie cutter in powdered sugar and start cutting out football shapes. As you cutout the cookie from the dough, place on cookie sheet. When cookie sheet is full, place in freezer for 10 minutes. This helps the cookie hold its’ shape when baking.

After you have chilled the cutout cookies, bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool on cooling rack to 10 minutes. Once cookies are cool enough to handle and they feel firm to the touch place on cooling rack and decorate with royal icing. You can see by the picture how I decorated mine.

Royal Frosting
(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 pound powdered sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 cup water

Whisk on low speed until incorporated and then on medium speed for 7 to 8 minutes until fluffy and thick. Use a pastry bag fitted with a small round writing tip to decorate your cookies.