The Spanish were responsible for introducing chocolate to Europe from the Americas where it was used as a form of local currency. In Spain hot chocolate is taken very seriously. Made from real chocolate, sweetened separately with sugar, and sometimes, with a pinch of cinnamon, the end result is certainly the taste equivalent of liquid gold.
In addition to introducing us to one of our most pleasurable vices the Spanish
have developed the perfect accompaniment to this delectable drink, the churros.
They are traditionally sold on roadsides but most towns in Spain will have a
Churreria. Churros are made from dough extruded into thin tubes,
these have a star shaped cross section and are several inches long. Coated in
sugar and cinnamon and dipped in a bowl of hot chocolate they make for a sublime
start to the day that is hard to improve on.
The invention of the Churro has been attributed to Spanish shepherds
who existing with little provisions developed them as a form of fried bread
with a distinctive shape that gave them the perfect crispness. In Madrid churros
take on a different appearance to the rest of Spain where they are smaller in
size and shaped like a charity ribbon. Here the more familiar shaped "churros"
are called Burros.
Spanish style hot Chocolate
For 2 People
400 ml full fat milk
100g chocolate with a high Cocoa solid component minimum 75-80%
1 teaspoon of sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Place all the ingredients except the cinnamon in a saucepan over heat and whisk until simmering. Continue until the chocolate is melted and sugar dissolved. Pour into cups, sprinkle over the cinnamon and serve.