Description
Champurrado is a creamy chocolate drink from Mexico with a distinctly earthy and rich flavor.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup masa harina
- 3 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole star anise
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- 2 ounces piloncillo, or muscovado sugar, raw sugar, or dark brown sugar
- 1 disk Mexican chocolate, or dark chocolate (about 3 1/4 ounces)
- 3 cups milk
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed, large saucepan (I like using a 3 quart pan), slowly whisk the masa harina into 3 cups of water. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and a small pinch of salt to the pan, and place over medium heat. Whisk, using a standard whisk or a Mexican molinillo, very frequently until the mixture is thickened, and just barely starting to simmer.
- Adjusting the heat as needed to keep at a bare simmer, add the piloncillo and chocolate to the pan. Whisk until the piloncillo is dissolved and the chocolate is melted. If your piloncillo isn’t dissolving, press it with a spoon or the flat bottom of your molinillo to break it up.
- Carefully whisk in the milk. Continue cooking, stirring very frequently, until just simmering.
- Remove from the heat. If desired, strain the champurrado to achieve a smoother texture. Serve hot, or cool to room temperature and enjoy iced.
Notes
If you are feeling adventurous, use a molinillo for your whisking. While I found that a regular whisk may be more effective and easier to control, the molinillo was more fun to use. 😉
This makes a thick, earthy, and rustic chocolate drink with a sometimes slightly grainy texture. If it seems a little lumpy or grainy for your taste, strain it through a wire mesh strainer before serving.
Some of the ingredients in champurrado might be a bit tricky to find –
If you can’t find piloncillo, try substituting another minimally processed dark sugar like muscovado, raw sugar, or simply use dark brown sugar.
If you can’t find Mexican chocolate, substitute any dark chocolate.
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Mexican
