Another food recommendation now that its getting real cold here. ATOLE! ☕️
If you haven’t yet heard of atole yet, you’re missing out. It’s the perfect hot drink for any time of day and it’s super easy to make! (This isn’t a recipe, really. More like a general process)
[example Image from muydelish.com]
Atole is a sweet, water and/or milk-based drink thickened slightly with cornstarch or corn flour (masa harina)(which is not to be confused with corn meal). Though, my mom likes to experiment with toasted garbanzo beans, barley, oat, and rice, which you can make by optionally toasting and then soaking those grains overnight, blending them into a paste, and using it as a thickener (Garbanzo is quite good! if a bit gritty). Traditionally this drink is sweetened with piloncillo, a kind of cone sugar and easily found in Mexican stores, but whatever sweetener works since this is something for you to make yourself. And who am I to govern what you use? Plain or brown sugar are easy substitutes.
Cinnamon, chocolate, and vanilla are the most popular flavors, I think, but strawberry is a common one you can also find in atole packet mixes. Atole mixes are also common in mexican/latin markets, as far as I know. The brand here is the one I used to have as a kid.
The general process is super simple:
For however much you want to make, say 4 cups, you can take about 1 cup of that in water and simmer it with cinnamon sticks to your desired strength (5-15 min depending on water quantity. Mom says color is a good indicator). You should add your cone sugar here if using. (The most simple atole I know of is pretty much thickened cinnamon tea!)
Once steeped you can add 3 cups milk, the starch slurry, and sugar, if you haven’t already. Note: always mix starches with a small quantity of water or milk for a recipe like this. Adding them straight into the pot results in clumps.
Then just stir constantly for a few minutes on a medium-ish heat until the starches set. Feel free to flavor with chocolate powder, vanilla, both, or whatever other spice if you’re the experimental type. (I’d personally like to try a chai flavored atole, that’s sounds pretty good rn ngl)
Overall, it’s a minimum 3 ingredient drink! 5 ingredients max. Don’t like cinnamon? Leave it out! The whole point is to warm up, so whatever works for you 🌼 and make extra! It stores well enough in the fridge :D
