Mexican Hot Chocolate (aka Aztec Cocoa) | Slow Cooker + Stovetop Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you use a Mexican hot chocolate maker? ›

Rather than stir the hot chocolate, like you might with a spoon, you place the end of the molinillo in a pot of hot water (or milk) and chocolate, then rub the handle between your palms, creating a small whirlpool that not only incorporates the cocoa but also oxygenates the mixture.

Aztec hot chocolate is a traditional beverage customary to parts of Mexico where the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations lived. At its most basic form, it's a mix of hot chocolate with chili powder or spice, and sometimes cinnamon and vanilla. The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec "xocoatl", for cacao plant.

Mexican hot chocolate contains spices like cinnamon and chili and chopped bittersweet chocolate to create a very rich but less sweet flavor. Whereas traditional American hot chocolate is usually made with a combination of cocoa powder and/or chocolate and tends to be more on the sweet side.

The Aztecs used a Molinillo, which is a Mexican wooden whisk, to froth hot chocolate and other drinks such as atoles. It's a very old kitchen tool and very little historical records exist prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores to Mexico.

Pour 220ml of milk (or water or a milk-alternative) into the machine, then sprinkle in the hot chocolate flakes and press the button to start. And ta-dah! In just two-and-a-half minutes, you'll have a rich, luxurious hot chocolate ready to drink.

They believed cacao was given to them by their gods. Like the Maya, they enjoyed the caffeinated kick of hot or cold, spiced chocolate beverages in ornate containers, but they also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods. In Aztec culture, cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold.

The simplest mix was cacao with ground maize (corn) and water, providing a healthy, 'cheap-and-cheerful' gruel, that 16th century Spanish friar Toribio Motolinía described as 'a very common drink'. Frequently combined with ground chilli, this 'poor man's chocolate' was consumed throughout Mesoamerica.

The Mayans called the drink “chocolhaa” (“bitter water”) and Aztecs called it “Xocolatl.” From those words eventually evolved the word “chocolate.” Cacao was used in special celebrations such as those for funeral rituals, war, or harvests.

The most significant difference is in the ingredients. Mexican hot chocolate uses various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper.

Mexican chocolate should taste intense and have a rustic texture. Its flavor is due to the fact that the cacao beans are simply roasted and ground into a liquor, whereas a lot of European-style chocolate takes things a step further, using a conching machine to aerate the chocolate liquor and mellow out its flavor.

What are the ingredients in Mexican chocolate Abuelita? ›

SUGAR, NONFAT MILK, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, COCOA, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND/OR PALM KERNEL, AND/OR SOYBEAN), DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS, AND LESS THAN 2% OF CELLULOSE GUM, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM CASEINATE, SALT, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SUCRALOSE.

Simply Empty One Packet Of Abuelita Hot Chocolate Mix In One Mug Of Hot Water While Stirring To Enjoy. One 8 Ounce Box Contains Eight 1-Ounce Envelopes Of Abuelita Mexican Style Hot Chocolate Mix. Store Abuelita Instant Hot Chocolate Mix In A Cool, Dry Place.

It has a noticeably grainy texture because it's processed only to the “liquor” stage, before it's poured into the disk-shaped molds to cool and harden. Classically, it's flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. To make the drink, this solid chocolate is broken into pieces, then just melted into a pot of hot milk.

Simply heat 4 cups of milk and one Abuelita hot chocolate drink tablets in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture is frothy and starts to boil. Remove from heat and enjoy the warm comfort of tradition. One 6 count box will make 24 servings of Abuelita.

Stir as the milk heats up. At this point you can use the molinillo in a similar motion as a spoon – and hey – it won't scratch! When the milk is just about to boil and the chocolate is dissolved all the way, take the molinillo between your palms rub back and forth to produce a nice froth.

The convenient hot chocolate drink tablets make it easy to make a delicious cup of Mexican hot cocoa drink mix at any time of day. Simply heat 4 cups of milk and one Abuelita hot chocolate drink tablets in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture is frothy and starts to boil.

The molinillo is a Mexican wooden whisk that's used to mix up and add froth to a batch of Mexican hot chocolate. You simply roll the shaft between your palms to churn, mix, and foam the chocolate. The molinillo is also great for muddling fruits and herbs in homemade co*cktails!