Chocolate Caliente

I remember the first time I had Mexican hot chocolate. It was at my dear friend Martha's home when she asked me to stir the pot of chocolate that was on her stove. I took the whisk to the pot of creamy delicious dark elixir and as I stirred, I could smell the cinnamon and chocolate dancing together. After taking a sip of what I'd been stirring, I realized right then that I had been missing out on a truly unique cultural experience. Martha also liked to add coffee to her cocoa to make a delicious Mexican Mocha. Over the years, Martha taught me so much about her heritage and the art of Mexican cuisine and I am forever grateful for the time she spent with me, planting the seeds in me to learn more. Now that sugar is not my first go-to option, I have to change things up a bit - or should I say "spice" things up a bit. It's a challenge at times, but thanks to these memories, I have somewhere to start... I'm jus' sayin'!

Because I am now following a low glycemic lifestyle, I am constantly trying to take my favorite recipes and revamp them to work within my dietary framework. I searched the internet for a recipe for chocolate and came across this delightful recipe from "Chocolate Covered Katie". (If you have never seen her blog, I highly recommend it. She has lots of low-glycemic recipes for some favorite and traditional dishes and treats.) I added some flavors to this one to recreate that Mexican-flavored chocolate and because I can't have Stevia, I opted to use agave instead. It made for a softer, more "ganache" texture. When I made a batch using Stevia, however, it had much more of a crisp snap to it.

Low Glycemic Mexican Haute Chocolate Bars
Adapted from: Three-Ingredient Chocolate Bars: Chocolate Covered Katie

In a bowl combine the following:

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1 pinch of chipotle powder (depending on taste you can add more)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Pour into molds. I used a recycled plastic apricot container I got from Costco for the Stevia chocolate. For the agave, I used some vintage tart molds I sprayed with cooking spray. You could use any plastic candy molds.

Chocolate Drops made with Stevia

When I melted it to make my Mexican Haute Chocolate, I used 4 oz of the agave chocolate bar and 6 oz of Coconut Almond Milk. I brought it to a simmer and whisked it vigorously. I then poured them into mugs to serve.