Warm yourself up with Josefina’s favorite breakfast treat!
We’ve had a really weird winter down in the Mid Atlantic, and I can’t decide if this is just how it is, or if I’m getting an up close and personal look at Global Warming, but in either case, here we are. I never know how to dress before leaving for work in the morning. This means I often end up waiting on the metro platform after work for a train that never arrives wishing I’d thought to pack my scarf or wear tights, or slowly suffocating in my wool coat and gloves.
Since it’s still technically winter no matter what the temperature might say, I figured it might be time to feature an official American Girl recipe I’ve been eying for some time. This treat definitely helps take the edge off the cold, while being tasty enough to enjoy no matter what the weather’s doing outside.
Since it’s still technically winter no matter what the temperature might say, I figured it might be time to feature an official American Girl recipe I’ve been eying for some time. This treat definitely helps take the edge off the cold, while being tasty enough to enjoy no matter what the weather’s doing outside.
Chocolate is native to Central and South America, and there are lots of tasty hot chocolate recipes straight from and inspired by that region, as well as the Southwest United States. I made one of them a few years ago – read all about champurrado, the classic beverage or breakfast treat.
Josefina’s Cook Book gives a little bit of background information into the history of chocolate, explaining that the ancient Mayans and Aztecs considered chocolate to be the food of the gods because it made them feel good and provided long lasting energy. They used vanilla and chiles to flavor their bitter chocolate drinks. The Europeans began to sweeten it with sugar in the 1500’s. Josefina’s family would have gotten their chocolate in the form of sweetened, hardened wafers from Mexico City. Although the Montoyas are fortunate to have traders from Mexico City roll into town relatively often, it’s still something she probably wouldn’t have been munching on every day after her reading and writing lessons.
ETA: One of my awesome readers (the person behind the famous Super Inky!) shared a really fascinating part of chocolate history that often goes untold. Did you know that Native peoples were trading for chocolate and other goods with folks in Central America long before the Spanish showed up? An archaeological study at Chaco Canyon identified artifacts that proved that ancestors of the Pueblo (and therefore the ancestors of Josefina's friend, Mariana) drank the same liquid chocolate enjoyed by the Mayans and other Mesoamerican communities. The New York Times did a really fascinating piece on the discovery in 2009. Although I'm not surprised this story is still often left out of chocolate narratives, I'm bummed that it is, because it's a really interesting look at how vast trade routes were before Europeans arrived in the "New World". A lot of discussions of Native communities place them in a regional bubble, rather than acknowledging how interconnected the Americas were before they were "discovered." I'd really recommend giving the article a read!
The cookbook says that this recipe is something that Josefina and her sisters would enjoy for breakfast as a special treat, which sounds like a nice addition for a day of working on the rancho. Although New Mexico doesn’t see a ton of snow the way my home state does, it can still get chilly in the winter, meaning this was probably a treat Josefina appreciated before going out to collect water for any winter laundry or cooking she was helping out with.
That said, I might like mine better as a treat after coming in from the cold…
To start off, you put 5 tablespoons of cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and 1/3 of a cup of honey in a pan. This can take a while to mix together, but it’s pretty obvious when it’s combined the right way. You’ll end up with a sleek brown mixture.
When that’s finished, add 1/2 of a cup of hot water and stir well. I boiled some in my tea kettle and let it sit for a while so it hot, but not boiling when I poured it in.
Turn on your stove’s burner to medium high and stir the mixture constantly until it just starts to boil. Turn down the heat to a low, low simmer for about 30 seconds before adding in 4 cups of whole milk. Stir it constantly over medium heat for about two minutes, but don’t let it boil!
Remove the saucepan from the burner and put it on a trivet or damp towel. Stir in one teaspoon of vanilla, and using either a whisk or a rotary beater (or if you want to get really authentic, a molinillo), beat the hot chocolate “until it is very frothy.”
The cookbook explains that when the Spanish brought vanilla to Europe to recreate the New World chocolate drink, Europeans realized that vanilla was a delicious flavor by itself. That’s a discovery I’m pretty happy about. Call me lame, but I really love vanilla.
Well, I got lazy – and I’m not sure it would have frothed up as well as it could have anyway because I used one cup of skim milk, three cups whole – so my chocolate didn’t come out especially frothy. But I did add a small sprinkling of cinnamon on top just before serving.
I don’t have the New Mexico Starbucks You Are Here mug yet, but my best friend did send me two from Texas for Christmas, and since Josefina was her childhood doll, it seemed fitting to break out the Austin one for this post, don’t you think?
I was really pleased with this recipe. While I was first mixing the honey, chocolate, and spices, I was really reminded of Heritage Chocolate, which is always an exciting association to make. The final product wasn’t quite as spicy (or rich!) as Heritage Chocolate hot chocolate, but it was still really flavorful, sweet without being too sweet, and really hit the spot as an after dinner treat.
The cookbook claims this makes about four servings, and I did manage to get decent portions into 14 oz coffee mugs, so it would be an easy to serve beverage for a small gathering with large mugs, or divided into smaller cups for a larger group of friends. I think this would be a great addition to any Josefina or American Girl themed party you might be planning, or just a fun twist on your average hot chocolate.
Even though I’m crossing my fingers for an on time arrival for spring, I think I can handle a few more weeks of winter if I’ve got a mug of this to look forward to!
Josefina’s Cook Book gives a little bit of background information into the history of chocolate, explaining that the ancient Mayans and Aztecs considered chocolate to be the food of the gods because it made them feel good and provided long lasting energy. They used vanilla and chiles to flavor their bitter chocolate drinks. The Europeans began to sweeten it with sugar in the 1500’s. Josefina’s family would have gotten their chocolate in the form of sweetened, hardened wafers from Mexico City. Although the Montoyas are fortunate to have traders from Mexico City roll into town relatively often, it’s still something she probably wouldn’t have been munching on every day after her reading and writing lessons.
ETA: One of my awesome readers (the person behind the famous Super Inky!) shared a really fascinating part of chocolate history that often goes untold. Did you know that Native peoples were trading for chocolate and other goods with folks in Central America long before the Spanish showed up? An archaeological study at Chaco Canyon identified artifacts that proved that ancestors of the Pueblo (and therefore the ancestors of Josefina's friend, Mariana) drank the same liquid chocolate enjoyed by the Mayans and other Mesoamerican communities. The New York Times did a really fascinating piece on the discovery in 2009. Although I'm not surprised this story is still often left out of chocolate narratives, I'm bummed that it is, because it's a really interesting look at how vast trade routes were before Europeans arrived in the "New World". A lot of discussions of Native communities place them in a regional bubble, rather than acknowledging how interconnected the Americas were before they were "discovered." I'd really recommend giving the article a read!
The cookbook says that this recipe is something that Josefina and her sisters would enjoy for breakfast as a special treat, which sounds like a nice addition for a day of working on the rancho. Although New Mexico doesn’t see a ton of snow the way my home state does, it can still get chilly in the winter, meaning this was probably a treat Josefina appreciated before going out to collect water for any winter laundry or cooking she was helping out with.
That said, I might like mine better as a treat after coming in from the cold…
To start off, you put 5 tablespoons of cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and 1/3 of a cup of honey in a pan. This can take a while to mix together, but it’s pretty obvious when it’s combined the right way. You’ll end up with a sleek brown mixture.
Turn on your stove’s burner to medium high and stir the mixture constantly until it just starts to boil. Turn down the heat to a low, low simmer for about 30 seconds before adding in 4 cups of whole milk. Stir it constantly over medium heat for about two minutes, but don’t let it boil!
Remove the saucepan from the burner and put it on a trivet or damp towel. Stir in one teaspoon of vanilla, and using either a whisk or a rotary beater (or if you want to get really authentic, a molinillo), beat the hot chocolate “until it is very frothy.”
The cookbook explains that when the Spanish brought vanilla to Europe to recreate the New World chocolate drink, Europeans realized that vanilla was a delicious flavor by itself. That’s a discovery I’m pretty happy about. Call me lame, but I really love vanilla.
The cookbook claims this makes about four servings, and I did manage to get decent portions into 14 oz coffee mugs, so it would be an easy to serve beverage for a small gathering with large mugs, or divided into smaller cups for a larger group of friends. I think this would be a great addition to any Josefina or American Girl themed party you might be planning, or just a fun twist on your average hot chocolate.
Even though I’m crossing my fingers for an on time arrival for spring, I think I can handle a few more weeks of winter if I’ve got a mug of this to look forward to!
Hope you're all keeping warm too!
I read somewhere that they poured the beverage between two containers until it got frothy. I have been known to use my Tupperware shaker (with an oven mitt) to get hot chocolate nice and milk foamy (or pour it back into an empty milk carton and shake because that makes great milk foam!).
ReplyDeleteThat is indeed true! I'm guessing they recommended using a whisk to prevent any young chefs from getting too enthusiastic with their pours...
DeleteHave you read about the chocolate at Chaco Canyon? Native peoples were trading chocolate with folks from Central America long before the arrival of the Spanish. (see http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/04cocoa.html for an example) Personally, my favorite way to drink hot cocoa is with red chile powder mixed in. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm flying home to NM in a few weeks and would be happy to pick up a NM mug for you!
Thanks for the link! I hadn't read much about that part of chocolate history, and that's such a cool archaeological find. Most sources like to talk up the "West's" first encounters with it and kind of start the story there, which while unsurprising is still disappointing. I'll edit in a note with a link to the article for other readers!
DeleteAnd oh my gosh, I would super appreciate that and be happy to compensate you for the trouble! Just let me know what I owe you. :D
Okay, I am dating myself her. When I was in high school back in the '60's we were required to take Home Economics. This way one of the thing we learned how to make. But the recipe always had a small dash of cayenne pepper. Just a tiny tiny sprinkle of it. The other thing was Hot Tuna Casserole which to this day makes me want to vomit. It was revolting..
ReplyDeleteOh no! I always assumed I would hate tuna casserole, but ended up really enjoying the two tuna noodle casseroles I've made for my blog. No noodles might be a bit of a mood killer for me though...
DeleteSounds yummy, but I'd rather have spring!
ReplyDeleteMe too at this point. I want to see flowers on trees. :(
Delete