Mexican Hot Chocolate

 Over the weekend, we had another large winter storm.  I'm always so tired of winter by this time of year.  Sigh.

In any case, snow storms make me want hot chocolate.  And as far as hot chocolates go, this is one of my favorites.  Mexican hot chocolate.  It's like regular hot chocolate, but with attitude.  And spice.  I was first introduced to it by my friend Elizabeth at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market.  And since there's not much reason to go to the farmer's market in the dead of winter, I had to make my own.




Start with a mug.  A large-ish one.

 Put in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.  The darker the better.

Microwave the chocolate 30 seconds.  Then stir.  Continue microwaving for 10 second intervals, stirring each time, until the chocolate is melted.

Add 1 1/4 cup warm milk.

Stir that up.  Now add a healthy dose of cinnamon.  I'd start with about an 1/8th of a teaspoon.

Then, you add the secret ingredient.  Ground Red Pepper, or Cayenne.

You want to start out with a little bit, because you can always add more if you want.  I start with just a little dash, then stir it up and taste it.

Now, if you have one of these, pull it out.  It's a milk frother.  Totally not necessary, but extra fun.

See, it's so fun!  Be careful not to use it if your cup is too full.  Unless you like cleaning hot chocolate off your counters.  I think the frother helps to mix things up a little better.

Also it adds a nice foam to the top.  Yum!

 

You could certainly drink it as-is.  But you could also add some whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon and red pepper on top.  Just to be fancy.  And a little naughty.

So, if you're finding the weather colder than you'd like right about now, make some of this up.  It'll warm you up nicely. :)

And hey! Here's a handy printable version courtesy of Tasty Kitchen!