Great hot chocolate in westchester

[JSexton]

Where's the best Mexican style hot chocolate? Parisian style (using bar chocolate and frothed)? How about good ol' American style--maybe even with a marshmallow? Just looking for the greats--Swiss Miss need not apply. Thanks--

[marieber]

I'm not the hugest hot cocoa fan, but my sister in law went nuts over the hot chocolate at the Black Cow in Croton if you are every up north.

ETA: oops, didn't originally notice that you asked for Mexican...but...

[dolores]

Sunset Grille -- 68 Gedney Way, WP. Have to try their hot chocolate on my next visit. I love the place. Of course, Don Emilio makes it.

Looks like Cocoa is still there in Larchmont at 2107 Boston Post Rd # A. Expensive, but isn't their hot chocolate still good?

[JSexton]

Thanks, adamclyde--that's exactly what I'm looking for. I noticed your champurrada post for PF before, and it ws definately on my list. (BTW--have you checked out the tacos al pastor at Little Mexican Cafe yet?)Good to know about the Kneaded Bread, too--I love those guys. I'd love to find some of the spiced Mexican-style hot chocolate. I knew home cooks who made it with Mexican bar chocolate and spices like cinnamon--maybe even chili, as in LisaM's post.

[jeanki]

I bought a Wicked Hot Chocolate mix from Jacques Torres (actually at Balducci's).

[adamclyde]

Two out of the ordinary for you.

The first is, during the winter, paleteria fernandez in port chester, makes a mean champurrada, which is a mexican chocolate-based hot chocolate thickened with corn masa. It's rich, wonderful and almost a meal in itself.

And the second is the kneaded bread in port chester. I've actually not tried it, but they advertise it as being homemade and good, so it certainly isn't from a mix, though it could still be made from cocoa... not sure. Considering that mostly everything else at the kneaded bread is great, it would be worth giving it a shot.

Sorry - not exactly what you were looking for, but had to offer these options too...

[Lisa M]

Hi Adamclyde,

I had written months back about Flores Deli in WP/Hartsdale (did you ever go?). I recently asked the owner if he'd be making "Mexican hot chocolate" in the colder months, and he enthusiastically said "si," but it wasn't clear whether it would be from scratch or not. The funny thing was, when I asked whether he'd put a pinch of cayenne pepper in it (something I'd heard about somewhere as an ingredient in Mexican chocolate), he didn't know what I was talking about. Did I just imagine that hot pepper is used?

[JMF]

It HAS to have cayenne in it, and cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

[adamclyde]

I love a little spice to hot chocolate too. But, I have to say, I don't know that I've ever had spiced champurrado or other similar hot chocolate at any of the actual mexican places I've been to - that's true out here in the northeast or back home in california. I wonder how commonly this is actually done in mexico? I know the pairing of chocolate and chile is done in savory dishes, but I've found most of their sweet treatments of chocolate (or at least champurrado) specifically seem to stay sweet. not that you won't find chocolate or even hot chocolate drinks in mexico with some spice, but I think the non spiced kind is more common. Anyhow, all of that is just an uneducated observation.

By the way, none of that means I that I don't often enjoy some chile addition to my hot chocolate... mmm

to that end, paleteria fernandez' champurrada doesn't have spice to it. But it's amazing all the same.

[JSexton]

Not even cinnamon? I've seen chocolate and cinnamon paired, around here anyway, at a couple of south American (not Mexican) places.

[adamclyde]

yes on the cinnamon. when I say spiced, I mean chile spiced. sorry about that.

but... mexican chocolate already has a cinnamon flavor in it. Some folks boost it with additional, or, when here in the states, often add cinnamon to normal chocolate to replicate the flavor or mexican chocolate.

if you don't have it in your pantry, grab some ibarra's next time you are at the store. Great for anything from homemade hot chocolate and ice cream to mole negro.

[JSexton]

I had a Peruvian co-worker (when i was cooking for a living) who used to drink hot milk , sweetened and spiced with cinnamon and perhaps nutmeg. Just heated--not cooked down. I always found this very intriguing. Have you come across this in your travels?

[adamclyde]

not that exactly, but I'm no expert. sounds sort of like atole, without the masa. my guess is there are innumerable permutations of this stuff.

I should check around some of the peruvian places in PC in the cold months and see what I find.

and I bet they are all good!