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I still remember my first sip of spiced Mexican hot chocolate… I didn’t quite understand the need to add spice to it. I mean, spices have no business being around chocolate, right?! Luckily I kept an open mind and ordered it again a few weeks later, and somehow, it all made sense! The first sip is a taste of a rich hot chocolate which ends with a subtle spicy kick. It’s rich, dark, and creamy with just a tad bit of spicy. In other words, heavenly!

First taste and it’s hard to go back to your regular hot cocoa powder mix!

What kind of chocolate to use…

I’m sure there are plenty of other options, however, the most common in the grocery stores in the US is the “Abuelita” brand. The packaging instruction lists 4 cups of milk for every tablet. I find this ratio a bit too thin so I made adjustments to this recipe. I prefer a somewhat thicker consistency. Tweak the recipe to suit your preferences.

If Abuelita isn’t available, Filipino tablea cacao dics are a great alternative. Otherwise, dark chocolate can also be used as long as it’s 72% or above.

How to make spiced Mexican hot chocolate…

Equipment: small pot, whisk, cup

Yield: 2 (10 oz) cups

Total Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups milk

• 3 oz Abuelita’s Chocolate

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (optional, adds more chocolatey flavor)

• cinnamon sticks (1 for flavor, 1 for garnish per cup)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

• sugar to taste (Abuelita has sugar content, only add sugar if needed)

Directions:

1. Simmer milk, chocolate, and cinnamon stick in low heat until chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.

2. Cocoa powder is optional but if you like a richer hot chocolate, add and whisk until mixed through.

3. Turn off the heat and whisk in vanilla extract, chili powder, cayenne powder, and sugar to taste.

4. Pour into a cup and top with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon. Serve immediately.