Elaichi Champurrado

Happy New Year, Masalitos!

Today's recipe is the perfect opportunity to break your new year's resolution. Champurrado is a thickened chocolate drink traditionally served in the winter to warm you up and fill your tummy. This drink will make you want to curl up with your favorite book next to the fireplace.

Corn masa (Maseca) is used to thicken the chocolate milk. The more flour you add, the thicker your drink.

For this recipe, I used Mexican cinnamon which is readily available at most supermarkets but you can substitute it with regular cinnamon. I prefer Mexican cinnamon because of its citrus undertones and sweet, warm flavor. 

I added cardamom to this recipe to add an extra layer of aroma. Cardamom (Elaichi) is a spice widely used in India, you may recognize its flavor if you've ever had chai latte. Cardamom is generally pricey at supermarkets, to find a much better deal, head to your local Indian grocery store. 

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Recipe

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablets Chocolate Abuelita
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup Maseca (corn masa flour)
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 sticks Mexican cinnamon
- 6 pods green cardamom (or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom)
- 1 shot Bailey's Irish Cream (optional)

Instructions
1. In a large pot, warm up the whole milk at medium high heat.
2. Dissolve the corn flour in warm water.
3. Crush the cardamom pods (crack open the shell, but keep the seeds inside). 
4. Once the milk is warm, add the cardamom, cinnamon, and Chocolate Abuelita. Stir constantly.
5. When the chocolate is fully dissolved, add the condensed milk and evaporated milk, continue stirring.
6.  Slowly add the corn flour mixture while stirring. It is important that you don't stop stirring, or you will end up with a lumpy mess.
7. Continue stirring until the champurrado thickens and there are no more lumps. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods. Enjoy!
Optional - serve on a large mug with a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream.

You can chill this champurrado overnight and serve it cold for a delicious breakfast treat!