Blended coffee drinks get a bad rap because most of the time, they are just too sweet. It pays to remember that coffee is a spice, and its savory richness should always be allowed to shine through. That’s what you’ll get when you enrich the coffee with two Mexican flavor bumps, dark chocolate and chili powder, a classic combination that’s been a staple of that region’s cooking for centuries.
Recipe : Mexican Hot Coffee-Chocolate with Chili Cream
Serves: 4
Coffee: La Colombe’s Odyssey
For the chili cream topping:
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon fresh ground coffee
½ teaspoon sugar
First prepare the chili cream so it is ready to go as soon as the chocolate is hot. Combine ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and whisk to medium stiff peaks. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
For the hot coffee/chocolate base:
2 cups whole milk
2 cups brewed coffee (We brewed our Odyssey.)
3 ounces Mexican style bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
3 Tablespoons raw sugar (Turbinado)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan, and set over medium heat. As the chocolate melts, use a whisk to stir all of the ingredients together and prevent any scorching on the bottom of the pan as the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat, and whisk vigorously for a few seconds just to make it frothy.
Ladle or pour the hot coffee/chocolate into 4 mugs, and top with a large dollop of the cream.