Dessert: Spicy Spiked Hot Chocolate

Recipe by Mast Brothers Chocolate The addition of an anise-flavored liqueur turns this hot cocoa into the liquid version of chocolate-covered licorice.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Spicy Spiked Hot Chocolate

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 ancho chile, lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped
2 ounces Xtabentún, Pernod, or other anise-flavored liqueur

Instructions

Combine milk, cream, sugar, chile, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add pod. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat, cover, and let steep 15 minutes.
Remove chile, cinnamon stick, and vanilla pod; discard. Add chocolate and heat over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove hot chocolate from heat and add liqueur. Serve hot.
DO AHEAD: Hot chocolate (without liqueur) can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat and add liqueur just before serving.

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