Tag Archives: Oaxaca chocolate

Choco-Cafe: Our Favorite Oaxaca Beverage

Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2009 | Comments Off on Choco-Cafe: Our Favorite Oaxaca Beverage

Every morning we wake up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee — with a Oaxaca flavor:  The addition of fresh grated Oaxaca Chocolate.  This way we keep our memory of Oaxaca alive as we start each day.  Here’s how it goes:  Stephen puts the ground organic beans into the filter and we turn on the pot.  We usually bring 10 kilos back from Elsa’s family coffee farm located in the highlands between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido.  When we run out (which we do frequently), we turn to a fresh grind from Weaver Street Market (Carrboro, NC) or Trader Joe’s (most everywhere) that is a mix of Columbian and French Roast.  With our coffee paraphernalia, we keep a stick of hard Oaxaca chocolate that is blended with cinnamon, sugar and almonds and a small grater.  The grated chocolate goes into the cup first, then we add a little sugar or Splenda, pour in the coffee and stir.  You can buy this form of chocolate at good Mexican tiendas.  This is a delicious drink, and if you add hot milk, makes a great hot chocolate-style beverage.  Enjoy!

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Easy Recipe: Pumpkin Bread with Oaxaca Chocolate and Raisins

Posted on Monday, November 3, 2008 | Comments Off on Easy Recipe: Pumpkin Bread with Oaxaca Chocolate and Raisins

Fabulous for Thanksgiving!

I made this the other day for Janet and Eric Chavez Santiago who were visiting from Oaxaca and they inhaled it. We even toyed with the idea of starting a bakery just because this is SO delicious! The Oaxaca chocolate adds a dark chocolate-cinnamon-almond bite to excite usually boring pumpkin bread. For a special treat, serve with vanilla ice cream.

Step One:  Stir Together Dry Ingredients

1 ¾ cups pre-sifted white flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup dark or golden raisins

½ cup Oaxacan chocolate, coarsely chopped

Step Two:  Combine Milk and Vanilla — Set Aside

1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Step Three:  Cream Together …

5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth using a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin and beat on low speed until just blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and vanilla mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir until smooth.

Step Four:  Spray and Bake

Using spray cooking oil, lightly spray a loaf pan. Line with parchment paper. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about one hour.

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Posted in Food & Recipes, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

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