As the weather turns colder and the holiday season approaches, its time to start thinking about a hot and comforting treat! Enter the wooden device that looks like it could be a baby rattle or something of a rattle snake. What is it? A molinillo (moh-lee-NEE-yo)! These wood turned beauties are the tool of choice for making a delicious and frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate.
You may have seen “Mexican Hot Chocolate” popping up in a coffee shops these days as a spicy chocolate beverage. Typically in Mexico, however, hot chocolate (aka chocolate caliente), is not spiked with hot pepper but rather cinnamon or vanilla for a lightly sweetened and flavorful treat. The chocolate of choice is usually a textured Abuelita or Ibarra – and its a feud just as Coca Cola or Pepsi! Also found regionally (near the hometown of Adalberto) is a similar chocolate, called Fronterra. (You can see from the ‘clumpiness’ in our mix that we use this textured style of chocolate).
So how do you use the molinillo? It can be used to both stir the chocolate and froth at the end. Let’s get started!
Stovetop (when you’ve got a crowd – at least 4 cups)
Add 4 cups of milk to a tall sauce pan and set to medium-high heat.
Add 1/2 cup Artisan’s Mexican Hot Chocolate mix into the milk mixture.
Stir as the milk heats up. At this point you can use the molinillo in a similar motion as a spoon – and hey – it won’t scratch!
When the milk is just about to boil and the chocolate is dissolved all the way, take the molinillo between your palms rub back and forth to produce a nice froth. Don’t be discouraged if you have to practice a few times before perfecting – it just means more chocolate to drink!
You can use a mini molinillo with this, but a spoon works fine too!
Add 1 cup of milk to a mug and 2 tablespoons ofArtisan’s Mexican Hot Chocolate mix. (Stir a little to make sure it breaks up).
Microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir again.
Microwave for an additional minute (or more, to melt the chocolate to your liking). You may end up with some chocolate not completely dissolved, but then you get yummy bits at the end!
What’s “Bate Bate” have to do with anything?
Originally a nursery rhyme about stirring hot chocolate, it is now a popular song on Dora the Explorer. Hum this little tune as you stir!
Add 4 cups of milk to a tall sauce pan and set to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup Artisan's Mexican Hot Chocolate mix into the milk mixture. Stir as the milk heats up. At this point you can use the molinillo in a similar motion as a spoon – and hey – it won't scratch!
Use molinillo to gently press on chocolate square in pot with milk until fully dissolved over medium flame.Then, twist between palm of hands to froth. The result - frothy delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate!
Its use is principally for the preparation of hot beverages such as hot chocolate, atole, cacao, and champurrado. The molinillo is held between the palms and rotated by rubbing the palms together; this rotation creates the froth in the drink. This process is the subject of a popular children's nursery rhyme in Mexico.
For a pot of melted chocolate and milk, heated together, the molinillo is used to beat the liquid until it froths. (The foam, according to tradition, embodies the spiritual essence of the chocolate.)
The Aztecs used a Molinillo, which is a Mexican wooden whisk, to froth hot chocolate and other drinks such as atoles. It's a very old kitchen tool and very little historical records exist prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores to Mexico.
But besides the flavor, the key characteristic of Mexican hot chocolate is that froth, the cup's life force. And the tool used to achieve these foamy peaks is a molinillo. The molinillo, which translates to blender, is a beautiful wooden tool; even the so-called simple ones are ornately carved.
We highly recommend hand-washing your molinillo with warm water and allowing it to air dry, as it is not suitable for dishwasher use. This care routine ensures the lasting charm and functionality of this remarkable piece.
A molinillo is a whisk that was first produced by Spanish colonists in Mexico. They used the molinillo to stir and froth their chocolate drinks. Prior to Van Houten's invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate contained a large amount of fat that was not soluble in water.
Milk frothers are a wise purchase for people who love to make professional-quality hot drinks at home. Whether you like lattes, cappuccinos, or lots of steaming mugs of hot chocolate, these machines are capable of heating and steaming milk to perfection in minutes.
You can make Mexican chocolate in a blender, but using a traditional molinillo makes the hot chocolate frothy and it's much more fun. Just add some chocolate, hot milk and gently rub the wooden molinillo between your palms for a perfect beverage.
They can be used to add a burst of rich chocolate flavor and to various baked goods like muffins, cakes, and cookies. A single baton can even transform a simple scoop of ice cream into a gourmet dessert. Melt them into a warm cup of milk for a delicious hot chocolate that's hard to beat.
The molinillo (meaning "mill" in Spanish) is a Mexican wooden whisk that's used to mix and add froth to a batch of Mexican hot chocolate. Simply roll the shaft between your palms to churn, mix, and foam the chocolate.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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