Champurrado (Mexican Hot Chocolate)

PaulaG's Note:

This recipe is from the Nestle Very Best Baking. Champurrado is a tradition in my part of the world on Christmas morning with tamales and sweet bread.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 12 cups water, divided
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 1/2 cups masa harina flour
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed or 2 (6 ounce) piloncillo cones
• 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine 8 cups of the water and cinnamon; bring to a boil.
2. Place the remaining water and masa harina in a blender; cover and blend until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the cinnamon-water mixture.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly with wire whisk for 6 to 7 minutes or until thickened.
5. Stir in sugar, chocolate and vanilla extract.
6. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes or until chocolate is melted and flavors well blended.

Reviews

[tornadoes three]

Very good champurrado! It has a good flavor and is creamy as well. Thanks for posting

[katia]

Wordeful chocolate! Different than the ones they serve here. But I was lucky to found a Mexican food store next to my office and so I found masa harina and piloncillo cones!!! I used theM for the first time and the result was so good. Now I must found some other recipes that use them, but even if I don't this chocolate is so tasty that it going to be an usual morning beverage. Thanks PaulaG for another keeper. Made it for ZWT3.

[kiwidutch]

I had to use regular flour since finding Harina flour here in NL was probably asking a bit much of Dutch supermarkets :) Like ncmystryshopper I also made 1 serving so the amount of flour wasn't big enough to change the taste I think. Piloncillo cones... (Thank heavens for the Kitchen Dictionary to explain that one!) I'm am idiot from a different planet it seems, plain brown sugar it was for me... Heck I had trouble enough finding the cinnamon sticks! The recipe was worth it though... a soft cinnamon choc flavour that's worth a lovely 4 stars. Thanks :)