Post by Alan on Feb 5, 2006 20:00:38 GMT -5
Dear all,
I made this Mexican chocolate recipe pre-champion and pre-Santha, so it ended up somewhat crumbly in texture due to processing it with only a food processor, but I still have to say that it tasted great.
I used it for a Mexican hot chocolate drink (with fresh home-made masa mixed in) and also for home-made mole. Regarding mole, I have to say that Rick Bayless' "Authentic Mexican" has the best mole recipe in it that I have ever tried/eaten (though it takes about 7 hours to prepare in all), and the following recipe for Mexican chocolate will make that mole recipe (or any) so much better than using store-bought Mexican chocolate.
Mexican Chocolate:
-1 lb forastero beans
-1/2 cup whole almonds
-2 T cinnamon
-1-2 cups of sugar (depending on your taste)
1) Blanch almonds, removing the skins afterward.
2) Roast the almonds on a hot comal (or cast-iron pan) over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden-brown. Remove the almonds from the heated pan.
3)Roast, crack and winnow the cocoa beans using your favorite method.
4) Cool cocoa beans slightly and then add them and the roasted almonds to a food processor and process on high, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure that everything is being processed evenly.
5) When the chocolate is starting to look glossy and melted and is starting to stick together, add 1 cup of sugar and the cinnamon.
6) Stir every minute or so until the sugar is completely incorporated.
7) The chocolate is now done. If the chocolate is still not sweet enough for your taste, up to one cup of sugar can be processed into the mixture. However, this chocolate shouldn't be candy-sweet.
8) Let the mixture cool and then store in an airtight, freezer safe plastic bag in the freezer.
9) Use in your favorite Mexican recipes that call for chocolate.
NOTE: of course you can use the Champion to make this chocolate too, but you will have to cool the cocoa beans completely before processing them. If using the Champion, add the roasted almonds and the cooled cocoa beans to the Champion using the fine screen and process to reduce them to liquor and then finish the chocolate in a food processor with the cinnamon and sugar as above. Further processing (with the Santha) and tempering is not necessary as this chocolate is for cooking and hot drinks and need not look aesthetically pleasing.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Alan
I made this Mexican chocolate recipe pre-champion and pre-Santha, so it ended up somewhat crumbly in texture due to processing it with only a food processor, but I still have to say that it tasted great.
I used it for a Mexican hot chocolate drink (with fresh home-made masa mixed in) and also for home-made mole. Regarding mole, I have to say that Rick Bayless' "Authentic Mexican" has the best mole recipe in it that I have ever tried/eaten (though it takes about 7 hours to prepare in all), and the following recipe for Mexican chocolate will make that mole recipe (or any) so much better than using store-bought Mexican chocolate.
Mexican Chocolate:
-1 lb forastero beans
-1/2 cup whole almonds
-2 T cinnamon
-1-2 cups of sugar (depending on your taste)
1) Blanch almonds, removing the skins afterward.
2) Roast the almonds on a hot comal (or cast-iron pan) over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden-brown. Remove the almonds from the heated pan.
3)Roast, crack and winnow the cocoa beans using your favorite method.
4) Cool cocoa beans slightly and then add them and the roasted almonds to a food processor and process on high, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure that everything is being processed evenly.
5) When the chocolate is starting to look glossy and melted and is starting to stick together, add 1 cup of sugar and the cinnamon.
6) Stir every minute or so until the sugar is completely incorporated.
7) The chocolate is now done. If the chocolate is still not sweet enough for your taste, up to one cup of sugar can be processed into the mixture. However, this chocolate shouldn't be candy-sweet.
8) Let the mixture cool and then store in an airtight, freezer safe plastic bag in the freezer.
9) Use in your favorite Mexican recipes that call for chocolate.
NOTE: of course you can use the Champion to make this chocolate too, but you will have to cool the cocoa beans completely before processing them. If using the Champion, add the roasted almonds and the cooled cocoa beans to the Champion using the fine screen and process to reduce them to liquor and then finish the chocolate in a food processor with the cinnamon and sugar as above. Further processing (with the Santha) and tempering is not necessary as this chocolate is for cooking and hot drinks and need not look aesthetically pleasing.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Alan