Mexican Pumpkin Pie Hot Chocolate

I have dreams of one day living in Mexico....I think it's one of the most beautiful places in all the world. I am fascinated by it's food, interested in learning about the culture, I absolutely love the Spanish language and I adore todos los colores brillantes  (all the bright colors) that are splashed everywhere!

I picture myself waking up one crisp fall mañana ( morning) the warm yellow sun shining in my window, grabbing the coziest sweater in my closet and walking to the local mercado (market). 

Entranced by all that it has to offer I walk vendedora a vendedora passing  la tortillería  it's table stacked high with fresh tortillas ready to be stuffed and filled with delicious meats and spicy peppers.  El Hombre with la fruta fresca (fresh fruit) and las verduras maduras ( ripe vegetables) mangoes, guyabas, chayote and noplaes all sharing the same space. Finally at the end of the aisle I see  una anciana (an old woman) with wispy gray hair slowly stirring a great big caldron of something.

I'm not really sure what it is...but the sweet smell in the air is drawing me near.  As I approach la senora she outstretches her hands and offers me a warm mug which looks to be filled to the brim with "melted chocolate" As I look at her questiongly "Champurrado" she says..she gestures at me to take a sip and when I do this warm hot drink fills my mouth and makes me smile and reminds me yet again all the reasons why I love this beautiful country!

So until my bags are officially packed and my United States passport is left behind...I will have to bring un poquito ( a little bit) of my Mexican dreams to where and I am now....so I present to you my
" Mexican Pumpkin Pie Hot Chocolate"....i'ts not quite my sweet ancianas Champurrado but it is a little piece of Mexican heaven right here in my cup until I get to officially call Mexico my home....Salud!

Ingredients

1. A tablet of Mexican Chocolate like Abuelita  or Ibarra

2. 4 cups of water (use milk if you prefer a thicker hot chocolate)

3.1/2 tsp of Mexican Vanilla

4. 1/2 can. pure canned pumkin (like Libby's)

5. 1/2 tsp. pumkin pie spice

6. 3/4 tsp. cinnamon

7. dash of salt

8. 2 tbsp. of packed brown sugar

Directions

1. In saucepan heat the 4 cups of water or milk the chocolate tablet, Mexican vanilla, pumkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar over medium high heat stirring constantly until well combined. (you can use a wire wisk, wooden spoon or this is the perfect time to use your Molinillo if you have one!) 

2. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Swirl with whip cream and sprinkle on a pinch of cinnamon.  Serve immediately.

Mexican Chocolate Waffles & Mexican Chocolate Bacon

The definition of  in·ter·na·tion·al- involving several countries: involving two or more countries or their citizens.

The definition of waf·fle is-thick light crisp pancake: a thick light pancake, crisp on the outside, that is baked in a waff,   ........

umm let's forget about the formalities, the definition of a waffle is a buttery, sweet, pure bocadito ( mouthful) of heaven mixed with a forkful of deliciousness!

Anyway, for those of you who might not know March 25 is International Waffle Day!  And since I am in love with waffles and I adore International, ok well you can't actually adore "International" I know that.

However I do have a fascination with other countries and it's cultures, especially those countries in Latin America ( especially, Mexico).

So in honor of two my favorite things, coming together on one day I made you waffles to celebrate. 

Not just any plain old  waffles however, nope that's just not what I do.....

 I made you Mexican Chocolate waffles infused with rich cocoa and spicy cinnamon, and what would any extraordinary breakfast be without it's savory & rich meaty sidekick?!

So to feed the carnivorous, chocolate addict in you ( if there is such a thing)

I dipped crispy strips of hickory smoked bacon into chocolate that has been involved in a super secret cinnamon romance.

Better known as " Mexican Chocolate Bacon"

ohhh! yes I did!  Is your mouth watering yet?  I hope it's ready for some chocolate lovin! Because this is the true definition of

" International Breakfast Love"!

                                                          Mexican Chocolate Bacon

- 6 strips of hickory maple bacon ( or whichever you prefer)
-1/2 cup of chocolate chips
-1/2 tsp of cinnamon
 
1. In a skillet or on a microwave safe plate, cook your bacon until crispy and set aside;
 
2 .Melt your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on 70% power, stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate is completely melted.
 
3. Once chocolate is ready, take each of your crispy strips of bacon and dip them into your melted chocolate. Place them onto a piece of wax or parchment paper to allow the chocolate to harden. Get started on your waffles.

                                                                   Ingredients       

 1 1/2 cups of flour

 3 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup of cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups of buttermilk, room temperature

3/4 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

 non-stick spray for your waffle iron

 

 

 

 

                                                                       Directions                                

 

 

yield-6-8 waffles, depending on waffle iron

 

1.Preheat waffle iron.

 
2.In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
 
3.In another bowl beat together the eggs and melted butter and vanilla, and then add the buttermilk.
 
4.Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the chocolate chips just until combined. Let waffle mix sit for 5 minutes.
 
5.Ladle waffle batter onto the center of the iron. Being very careful not to overfill the waffle well. Close the iron top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides and is easily removed from iron.
 
Once your waffles are ready, you can butter them up and pour on your syrup and get ready for a real chocolate fix.  I actually had some leftover chocolate and I mixed that with a 1/2 cup of maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon to take this whole Mexican chocolate waffle thing to an insane level.
 
Now it's time to grab your Mexican Chocolate Bacon, a great big glass of agua or orange juice. And let the chocolate fiesta begin!
 
Serve immediately or keep warm in a oven until ready to serve.

 

 

Sundae in Guadalajara- Ice Cream Cupcakes

You really have no idea how many great blogs are out there! Or do you?.......Well lately I've had a chance to blog surf and have found some really great ones not only with yummy looking recipes but

also with admirable photographs. If you didn't already know along with latin culture and baking, photography is yet another one of my hobbies. I get almost as much pleasure from seeing what I

baked all "bonitafied" on a plate, as I do standing behind the camera lens taking photos of it.  Okay back to the blogs......a couple of weeks ago I came upon the Cupcake Project Blog and saw that they

were having a contest where you had to come up with a recipe using cupcakes and ice cream. Oh my, my, my that sounded like something I definitely wanted to be a part of, just the idea of it got my

creative juices all flowing.  Well after a few weeks I finally found the time to settle down, think about what yummy recipe I wanted to concoct then get it all down on paper for everyone to enjoy. In any

event I came up with a cupcake/ice cream dessert twist which I call "Sundae in Guadalajara". Many of the ingredients used in this dessert have a Spanish influence in one way or another. Actually

almost 6 years ago I had the chance to spend 3 weeks in Guadalajara studying Spanish abroad but never made it. The truth be told at the time I was a little nervous about the flight, silly I know, but

now I am over it and ready to go and visiting Guadalajara has now moved on to my bucket list, well that along with making the trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. Either way when I do go I imagine it being

so caliente that I must purchase something to cool me down from the hot Mexican sol, as I'm walking along the cobblestone streets I see a senora with a pushcart serving up these heaping creamy cold

scoops of Mexican helado (ice cream) strawberry and dulce de leche unto fluffy plantain cupcakes. Each scoop is dripping with alternating drizzles of Mexican chocolate syrup and creamy homemade dulce de leche, then sprinkled with chunks of sugar cone pieces and colorful sprinkles.

A swirl of vanilla buttercream and a tangy yellow and a plump red cherry tops it off. And there you have it my "Sundae in Guadalajara" ice cream/ cupcake LOVE ♥  Oh and if ice cream is what you crave I found a cute little blog called Scoopalicious that is dedicated to everything ice cream!

Plantain Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 very ripe plantain (mostly black)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 345 degrees F. Line a 24 count jumbo-size cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a heavy-duty mixing bowl, cream together the butter and shortening on medium speed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the superfine sugar with the mixer set to low speed. Once combined, set the mixer to medium speed and mix for 5 minutes.

Sift together the cake flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Begin to add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the warm milk. In a separate bowl, blend the plantain with a hand mixer. Add the vanilla and the blended plantain to the batter.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake until the cake bounces back when you touch it, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and place onto a wire rack to cool.

When the cupcakes are completely cool place them on a plate or even a ice cream sundae dish would be really cute. Top the cupcakes with either strawberry or dulce de leche ice cream or both would be delicious, I used Haagen -Dazs for both flavors.

Drizzle the cupcakes with dulce de leche and Mexican chocolate syrup, I found both of these at my local Mexican market. Dulce de leche may also be found in your local grocery store easier than the Mexican chocolate syrup may be. But you can make your own syrup by taking a cup of regular chocolate syrup and adding a tsp of  Mexican canela or cinnamon.

Sprinkle crushed sugar cone pieces and colorful sprinkles on top of the ice cream, then swirl with your favorite homemade or canned frosting a few more colored sprinkles and top with cherries!

Te Amo, Mommy!





My Mother's Day Breakfast Plate

So Mother's Day has come and gone.....for me it was a beautiful

day, clear skies, gorgeous weather.  Really not even a rainstorm could

have ruined my spirits that morning because the sun had just barely

reached the sky and I could hardly crack open one eye, when I heard a

little voice.  The little voice was quietly whispering to me Happy

Mother's Day and as I made focus with the face behind the voice I saw

my 15 year old baby girl (because even at that age so will always be

my very first baby) who I have nicknamed Shelley, which is nothing like her "real name" and I am the only person in the world who calls her this, but we have both agreed it's our special thing and it

fits her nonetheless. Okay, okay back to the morning....as I spy my little angel standing in front of me, I see she has something in her hands which smells like a mix between a cinnamon stick, swirled

with bacon sitting in a vineyard full of grapes?!  What can I say it was 6:45 a.m and I was still
halfway conscious, halfway in a dream like fairyland.  When my eyes officially gained focus I saw

that she must have awoken at a least 6:00 a.m to prepare me a breakfast completely handmade by her of : french toast, maple sugar bacon, with a side of plump purple grapes and FRESH HAND
SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE!

Which after proudly and hungrily scarfing down half my breakfast my Shelley pointed out that my breakfast was on the colorful cupcake that I had hinted at days

before that I loved (wink, wink).  Ahhh!! Te amo ( I love you) Mommy!, she said ( she knows how much I love when she speaks in Spanish!) Could that day have gotten any sweeter? It actually did get

a lot sweeter but it would be to much to write in this blog and I'm sure I would just go on and on gushing about my 4 dulce chicas! When I say I have four of the best girls in the world, I say it with

no exaggeration, they are some of the sweetest, most compassionate, smartest and funniest girls I have ever met in my life. One other thing I know about them for sure, is that they are eager to please

Mexican Chocolate

their momma and they truly never seem to let me down.  I can truly say I have been blessed and I am thankful for everyday with them. Alright, alright no more gushing :)!  With all that said my very own

mother made a special request the day before mother's day that left me scrambling at the grocery store to fulfill her wish.  What did she want? Chocolate covered strawberries which I hadn't made in

years, but after dipping the first few I remembered just how fun they were to make.  I then decided in addition to regular dipped chocolate I would make a few Chica Chocolatina exclusives which

included: double dos ( a strawberry dipped in melted chocolate, rolled in chocolate chips), Mexican Chocolate( a cinnamon chocolate) and a Strawberry Dulce ( chocolate dipped swirled with dulce de
leche).

 She loved them all!  Anyway Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there and I hope your day was just as special as mine.