Ah Cacao Real Chocolate - Hecho en Mexico

Ah Cacao Real Chocolate Recipes

Ah Cacao Hot Cocoa Drink
Chocolate Frío (Cold Chocolate Drink)
Ah Cacao Chocolate Mexicano (Drinking Chocolate)
Ah Cacao Nibs
Homemade Vanilla Extract

Ah Cacao Hot Cocoa Drink

For every serving use:
1 cup or mug of milk
1 to 2 teaspoons of Criollo Cocoa
1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar or honey
1 teaspoon Real Vanilla extract

Gently heat the water, sugar and vanilla pod until bubbles start to form. Remove from heat and add the cacao, mixing with a 'Molinillo' (available from Ah Cacao stores) or whisk. Return to heat, frothing the mixture vigorously with the molinillo to create a thick foam, until the mixture is about to boil. Remove from heat. To thicken further, let cool and heat once more. Pour hot cocoa into individual mugs and serve immediately.

Your hot cocoa can be spiced up by adding any of the following during the heating phase:
Ah Cacao 70% Chocolate, Cinnamon stick (Canela), Orange or Lime Zest, Chile Pasilla, Nutmeg, Vanilla Pods (sliced open).

Chocolate Frío (Cold Chocolate Drink)

In a blender mix:
2 cups (500ml) of your preferred milk
2 heaped tablespoons of Ah Cacao Criollo Cocoa
1 teaspoon of natural vanilla extract
Natural sweetner to taste (e.g. agave nectar, honey, sugar, etc.). Usually a teaspoon or less is sufficient.

Blend well and serve immediately. Instant recharge!

Try mixing in a banana, strawberries, pecans or yoghurt.

Ah Cacao Chocolate Mexicano (Drinking Chocolate)

For every serving use:
2-4 segments of a chocolate tablet
1¼ cup of milk or water

Heat the milk or water in a pan until the first bubble pops. Remove from heat. Using a molinillo* or whisk beat in the chocolate until completely dissolved. Heat again until a froth begins to rise. Remove from the heat and beat a second time. Half-fill each cup then beat the remaining chocolate until frothy. Add the remaining foamed chocolate to each cup.

Your drinking chocolate can be spiced up by adding any of the following ingredients during the heating phase:
Real Vanilla Extract or Bean, Orange or Lime Zest, Honey, Chile Pasilla, Nutmeg.

* A Molinillo (available in Ah Cacao stores) is a wooden chocolate whisk which is rotated by rubbing the staff between the palms of the hand.

Ah Cacao Nibs

Suggested use: Cacao nibs (or 'cocoa' nibs) are a pure and naturally healthy food that can be used to add flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. Before using a bean, gently rub it to remove the skin then squeeze to sprinkle little pieces of pure, unsweetened, cacao on your favorite dishes.

Treats: Try sprinkled on ice cream, cakes, tarts or mixed in your favorite smoothie o yogurt. Can be used as a substitute for chocolate chips in cookie recipes.

Savory dishes: Use as a condiment on salads, vegetables, fish, and meat dishes, o mix with your favorite sauce. Can also be used in bread, like a grain.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Ingredients:
60g vanilla bean pieces (2 jars of Ah Cacao Real Vanilla)
1 bottle (70 cl) of Vodka or White Rum

Instructions:
Empty a little of the liquor into another container temporarily to make room for the vanilla beans.
Open each pod along its length to expose the seeds. Put the opened pieces in the bottle of liquor.
Fill up the bottle with the liquor removed in the first step.
Leave the mixture for at least a month. The longer you leave it the more flavor the extract will have. The bottle can be left for up to a year.
It's not necessary to strain the mixture. You can leave the bean pieces in the bottle as you use the extract so it continues to strengthen.