“To Make Chocolate”
It is that time of month when I participate in the Dundurn National Historical Site Recipe Challenge. #dundurnrecipechallenge
This month is an easy challenge and involves chocolate! We are given a recipe from their cookbook collection, from the 1860′s, for hot chocolate:
TO MAKE CHOCOLATE. INGREDIENTS. – Allow ½ oz. of chocolate to each person; to every oz. allow ½ pint of water, ½ pint of milk. Mode. – Make the milk-and-water hot; scrape the chocolate into it, and stir the mixture constantly and quickly until the chocolate is dissolved; bring it to a boiling-point, stir it well, and serve directly with white sugar.
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Hot chocolate was brought to Europe by the Spaniards from the Mayans. The Mayans worshiped it and called the drink xocolatl (bitter water) which was made with crushed cocoa, cornmeal and chilli peppers and was poured back and forth between containers to create a foamy beverage.
The Europeans preferred to add sugar to their hot chocolate instead of chilies. Hot Chocolate Houses opened in England, where upper class men went to drink this expensive brew and socialize, and as we call it today - to network. Some Hot Chocolate Houses even had entry fees.
The price of chocolate eventually dropped and Hot Chocolate Houses fell out of style. Coffee Houses replaced them and are still very trendy.
This recipe reminds me of the hot chocolate my mother used to make when I was growing up.
She mixed a paste of cocoa powder, sugar and hot water, then poured hot milk into the cup and mixed it up.
For my 1860′s version of Hot Chocolate I used Xocolatl, Drinking Chocolate, Whole Roasted Cacao, Raw Cane Sugar, from Chocosol, a Toronto organic Bean to Bar chocolatier. Chocosol is an ethical company that goes beyond Fair Trade and personally works with the chocolate growers, with reciprocity, ecological regeneration and friendship.
All I did to make the hot chocolate was heat up 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup milk and three pieces of the Xocolatl and mix it together. It was a wonderful cup of hot chocolate. The real thing.
If you can’t find Chocosol chocolate (you can order it online) you can melt a few squares of your favourite chocolate in the milk/water mixture.
Have a little luxurious drink, warm up, and make your own Hot Chocolate.
Dundurn National Historic Site (click here)
Chocosol Traders (click here)
