Champurado

Our Empty Nester's Family Home Evening group does a potluck dinner every Monday.  We're a pretty eclectic group, in age and interests and ethnic "flavors" - which makes for a lot of fun conversation and knoshing!

Lorenza, from Mexico, has a good handle on her English, with a strong accent.  She is helping us all improve our Spanish!  With a large hispanic population in the Buckeye area and at church, it's a good idea to get at least a few pertinant words and phrases on board.

We celebrated our Christmas dinner gathering with some traditional tamales - several of the ladies make them, in various flavors.  Lorenza treated us with "champurado", an authentic Mexican hot chocolate drink.  Oh my - love at first sip!  Not overly sweet, with some thickness that gives a wonderful mouth feel - like drinking hot chocolate pudding! It can be made as thin or thick as you wish.

Champurado reminds me of Starbucks "Drinking Chocolate" - which I swore to only have once a year, it was so rich.  This is better, 'cuz I can drink more of it! 

I was put in charge of getting the recipe on paper, because Lorenza cooks like most of us seniors - "about this much of this" and "about this much of that"! 


From Lorenza's instruction, a bit of help from Google, and tweaking my first batch, here is: 

CHAMPURADO

 Ingredients: 2 1/2 c. water, divided (agua)
                   1/4 c. masa harina (maseca)
                   2 oz. bittersweet  chocolate, chopped (or 1/4 c. semisweet
                      chocolate chips) Quality of chocolate makes a difference...    
                   1 stick cinnamon (canela)
                   1 whole clove (clavo deolor)
                   2 T. brown sugar (azucar morales)
                   1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (leche)
                  
Measure 1 cup cold water; slowly sprinkle 1/4 c. masa into the water stirring constantly to form a smooth mixture. Set aside for 15 min. 

Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 c. water to boil; add 1 stick cinnamon broken into 4 pieces, and one whole clove; cover with lid, simmer until water turns pinkish, about 10 min.  Strain out the spices, return water to boil.

Remove lid, and quickly stir in the masa mixture and chocolate.  Immediately reduce heat, cook on low stirring constantly until thickened - about 8 min.  Stir in brown sugar and milk.  Taste and adjust amount of sugar if needed. 

Makes 4 generous servings.

If you want to be really authentic, whip the hot chocolate frothy with a traditional molinillo about 5 minutes. 

And if you want to die happy, give it a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream!

I served myself in a small Japanese tea cup - the rich chocolate drink was a wonderful treat on a chilly desert morning.

Try a new Christmas treat this year - Champurado!