Skip to main content

Chocolate Español

Montezuma introduced Cortés to chocolate in the sixteenth century, and the Spaniards immediately began messing around with it. The original Mexican beverage (preceding recipe) was tweaked to suit the tastes of the Spaniards, and their associated versions of hot chocolate remain different to this day. Spanish hot chocolate is incredibly rich and thick—almost like loose pudding—and perfect for dunking Churros (page 655). Some people use cornstarch (or eggs) to thicken their chocolate, but I prefer the natural thickness that comes from melting chocolate into milk.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 quart milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the chocolate, milk, and sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk slowly until the chocolate melts and the sugar dissolves.

    Step 2

    When the mixture is smooth and steamy, transfer to mugs, top with a dusting of cinnamon, and serve.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
Read More
We’ve got grilled lemongrass chicken, a fresh tomato michelada, and stonefruit salami panzanella.
Like miso-peanut hibachi chicken and spring orzotto.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like swordfish steaks with tomatoes and Peruvian-style tofu.
A crowd-friendly, crisp-edged chicken and vegetable rice from chef José Andrés.
The magic of this hibachi chicken recipe comes from a combination of miso and peanut butter and how it beautifully caramelizes when it hits the grill.
A blender dressing does double duty as both a flavorful marinade and a final dressing in this pared-back version of Vietnamese-style lemongrass chicken.
Raw corn kernels add pops of crunchy sweetness to this quick weeknight pasta.