Pan con Chocolate

With a thick blanket of snow falling on the city, and the road outside our window barely visible, I headed to the kitchen and grabbed the beautiful loaves of whole grain homemade bread.

Growing up, our family used to sometimes serve fresh bread with real, dark, local hot cocoa. This is still a go-to breakfastnor snack anytime there is a large-ish crowd. We made a "chocolate de agua" and thickened it with a bit of almond butter and peanut butter and coconut cream. I pinched in some cardamom from a recent trip. The combination is warming, yummy, and comforting -- perfect on a snowy day.

HOT COCOA

I would not fret if all ingredients are not available. Make it with what you have and tinker with it. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of water or vegetable "milk"

2 Tbsp almond butter or peanut butter (or tbsp of each)

2 Tbsp dark cocoa powder or 2 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate

3 Cloves

1 Tsp cinnamon

1 Tsp powdered or freshly ground ginger

1/2 Tsp freshly ground cardamom or 1 freshly ground cardamom pod

1 Tbsp condensed milk, flavored syrup, or sugar

1 Tbsp corn or potato starch (optional)

1 Tbsp hot pepper jelly or 1/2 tiny hot pepper (optional)

Loose Instructions:

In a saucepan heat the water until it boils.

Dissolve the almond and/or peanut butter until it looks milky. 

Lower the heat to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients. 

Cover and steep for at least 10 minutes, or as many as you can wait. 

Add water if you feel the mix is too thick. 

Steep longer for a deeper flavor.