PERUVIAN SPICED CHRISTMAS HOT CHOCOLATE

‘La Chocolatada,’ with its warm spice undertones, whisks you away to a rich, smooth, chocolaty holiday adventure     

Recipe by: Gabrielle

SERVES: 6 (8 fl. oz. servings)

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 15 minutes TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• ½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• ¾ tsp. ancho chile pepper powder
• ⅔ cup water
• 1 pouch .9 oz. GC Napa Valley Natural Rainforest Cacao Powder Unsweetened Dark Chocolate (Foodie Exclusive), about ¼ cup
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Orange Infused Honey
• 2 Tbsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Culinary Lavender Infused Honey
• 4 cups milk, whole or 2%
• 1 can 12 fl. oz. evaporated milk
• ¾ cup (4 oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
• ¾ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Cabernet Sauvignon Finishing Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Optional garnishes: Whipped cream or mini marshmallows topped with shaved chocolate, ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, cocoa sugar, or sprinkles
• Optional accompaniment: Sweet bread, such as Panettone (Italian) or Stollen (German)

TO PREPARE

1. Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Gently simmer 5 minutes to ‘bloom’ the spices. FOODIE KITCHEN TECHNIQUE: ‘Blooming’ is the process of briefly heating spices/herbs to extract more flavor, preferably done in oil because the flavor compounds in many spices/herbs are fat soluble. Water is used here since oil is not conducive to this recipe.
2. Mix Cacao Powder Unsweetened Dark Chocolate and cornstarch together.
3. Add to a 2½-3-quart saucepan over medium heat: bloomed spice mixture, Orange Infused Honey, Lavender Infused Honey, milk, evaporated milk, and Cacao Powder-cornstarch mix. Whisk gently while bringing to a low simmer. Do not boil.
4. Add the bittersweet chocolate chips and Cabernet Sauvignon Finishing Sea Salt. Stir until the chocolate is melted.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.

TO SERVE

SHOPPING LIST

• 1 jar ground cinnamon
• 1 jar ground cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg seed pod, or 1 jar ground nutmeg
• 1 jar ancho chile pepper powder
• 1 box cornstarch
• 1 quart milk, whole or 2%
• 1 can 12 fl. oz. evaporated milk
• 4 oz. 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
• GC Napa Valley Natural Cabernet Sauvignon Finishing Sea Salt
• 1 bottle vanilla extract
• GC Napa Valley Natural Rainforest Cacao Powder Unsweetened Dark Chocolate (Foodie Exclusive)
• GC Napa Valley Natural Orange Infused Honey
• GC Napa Valley Natural Culinary Lavender Infused Honey
• Optional garnishes: Whipped cream or mini marshmallows topped with shaved chocolate, ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, cocoa sugar, or sprinkles
• Optional accompaniment: Sweet bread, such as Panettone (Italian) or Stollen (German)