Hot Chocolate South American Style Food

HOT CHOCOLATE - SOUTH AMERICAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over low heat, stir together the sugar, cocoa powder and chili powder. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add water and bell pepper strips, and mix well. Bring to a simmer, and stir in milk. When the mixture is heated to your liking, remove the pepper strips with a slotted spoon. Add cherry brandy if using, and serve.

SOUTH AMERICAN HOT CHOCOLATE (WITH CHILLIES)

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a saucepan. Carefully slice the chillies in half lengthways and deseed, leaving the stalks attached in order to remove them from the milk easily. Add to the milk.
• Slowly bring to a shivering simmer. Remove from the heat and infuse for 10 minutes, so that the milk takes on the chilli flavour. Reheat the milk, add the broken chocolate and cream and stir on a low heat until the chocolate is dissolved. Remove and discard the chillies. Serve garnished with a slice of fresh chilli.

THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Place milk and half-and-half in a saucepan and heat to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. A few teaspoons at a time, stir the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste. Scrape the cocoa mixture into the saucepan with the milk and simmer 2 minutes; do not let it boil. Stir in the vanilla and keep warm in a thermos.
• Pour into small serving cups and place 4 mini-marshmallows on each serving or spritz them with whipped cream. Serve immediately.
• Make the marshmallows: Combine the water, the corn syrup, and the sugar in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and boil to "soft-ball" stage, or about 235 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons water and let sponge.
• When the syrup reaches 235 degrees F, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
• Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper then sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Pour the marshmallow onto the pan and spread it out. Let cool about 2 hours then with a pair of scissors dipped in cornstarch, cut out football shapes.

ALCOHOLIC HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Put the milk into a saucepan and break the chocolate into pieces and add to the milk along with a cinnamon stick, honey, and sugar and heat gently until the chocolate is melted.
• Add the vanilla and mix with a small hand whisk and still whisking, add a spoonful of the rum first and taste to see if you want more. Add more sugar if you want this sweeter, too. Take out the cinnamon stick and pour into 2 cappuccino or caffe latte cups.

HOT CHOCOLATE - SOUTH AMERICAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over low heat, stir together the sugar, cocoa powder and chili powder. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add water and bell pepper strips, and mix well. Bring to a simmer, and stir in milk. When the mixture is heated to your liking, remove the pepper strips with a slotted spoon. Add cherry brandy if using, and serve.

CLASSIC HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Fill a small pot with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil. Whisk in cocoa; it may clump, which is O.K.
• Reduce heat to medium and whisk in milk, whisking around the sides of the pan to help dissolve all the cocoa.
• When milk simmers, whisk in the chocolate, 1 tablespoon sugar and a tiny pinch of salt, and reduce heat to low. Whisk until chocolate is melted and very smooth. Taste and add more sugar if you like. Turn off heat and whisk in vanilla.
• Serve topped with whipped cream or marshmallows.