Mexican cocoa aka Champurro. Not to be confused with Mexican hot chocolate which has cinnamon and usually either chili powder or cayenne pepper added into the mixture. Champurro is a rich, creamy cocoa drink that is said to be traditionally served at weddings. Two years ago my boyfriend and I went to Mexico on vacation. They had an awesome breakfast buffet with everything under the sun you could possibly imagine. And every morning we would take a very long walk along the beach. Probably around 3 miles or so and sometimes we would take another walk later in the day too. After our morning walk we would be completely ravenous and go to breakfast and eat like kings. Coffee was an absolute must and although they had an amazing selection of juices and champagne for mimosas and all the fixings for a bloody mary, I didn’t want to drink that early in the morning (shocking, I know). I think it was because of all the great food to stuff my face with. But one morning I just happened upon a large pot of hot chocolate. But it wasn’t spicy like a “Mexican hot chocolate.” For some reason it just tasted so good and hit the spot even though I had my coffee and all that food to eat. Not to mention I was in a tropical location with sunshine and 80 degrees.
Fast forward 2 years and I can’t stop thinking about that hot chocolate or cocoa I should say. It’s very cold out, it’s winter, and I’m craving something warm and rich to drink. Without alcohol in it either (shocking, I know). I found this recipe in a cookbook my bestest friend gave me for xmas one year. The cocoa turned out a little bit thicker than I wanted so I added extra water to the mix. And I have to say it’s pretty darn close to the taste of the cocoa I had in Mexico 2 years ago. When I was growing up, I was an Ovaltine and milk kind of hot cocoa drinker. None of that Swissmiss and water with dehydrated marshmallows. My mom always gave us the good stuff. The milk would heat just to boiling and you would have to catch it in time and skim the “skin” off the top and then pour it into mugs. Cooking this Mexican cocoa on the stove reminded me of my childhood hot cocoa days.
Be careful not to over boil!
This kind of looks like the mixture from my Mexican coffee
Mexican cocoa (champurro)
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
3 TBL flour
4 TBL cocoa
dash of salt
8 tsp sugar
Heat milk and water to a fast boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat. In a mixing bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, sugar and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth. Add cocoa mixture to milk mixture and blend well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. (Optional to add more water, depending on desired thickness of drink). Allow to come to a carefully watched bubbly boil. Serve in mugs. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg.
Recipe from Mexican family favorites cookbook by Maria Teresa Bermudez
The beautiful mug and skulls are from our vacation in Mexico…
Pictures from our vacation…
