Slow Cooker Cornish Hens in Mole Sauce

With the Christmas holiday so close I didn't want to do a turkey so I thought I'd try something different. I love the taste of Cornish Hens and with the Mole sauce it was really tasty. I have a 7 quart slow cooker and it was just the right size for this dish. As per DH's request, I used a lot of coco powder in my mole sauce but you can use less.

• Ready In: 6 hrs 35 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  Cornish hens
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes
• 4  tablespoons  nut butter (I used creamy sunflower seed butter)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2  teaspoons ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon ground coriander
• 1  teaspoon anise seed
• 5  tablespoons chili powder
• 1  tablespoon maple syrup
• 3  tablespoons cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄2 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6  large garlic cloves (smashed and peeled)
• 2  chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce)
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Turn the crock pot on high.
2. Puree the tomatoes, nut/seed butter and the tomato paste in a blender.
3. Add it to the crock pot.
4. Add all the other ingredients into the crock pot except the chicken. Whisk it all together.
5. Remove the hens from their wrappers and wash them good. Pat dry. Season with the salt and pepper.
6. Add to the crop pot whole and cover with the mole sauce.
7. Turn the crock pot down to low and cook for 6 hours.
8. Remove the hens when cooked and let them sit for a few minutes.
9. You will have a lot of mole sauce left. Save it and use it with other fowl.
10. Serve with rice, corn tortillas and scallions if you wish.
11. Bon Appetit!