flipSpanish-style chocolate, frothy with a molinillo
Spanish-style chocolate, frothy with a molinillo
Why this dish? Chocolate arrived at the French court in the wake of Spanish queens; Louis XIV's wife, Marie-Thérèse of Austria, was fond of it, and Madame de Sévigné comments on its fashion in her letters. It was served beaten and frothy, perfumed with cinnamon, outside of large meals.
A hot, thick, and frothy drink made from grated cacao whisked with hot water, sugar, and cinnamon, raised with a molinillo (the Spanish wooden whisk). Bitter and comforting, it is an elite pleasure.
We were introduced to this beverage from Spain with the Queen our wife. The cacao paste is grated, diluted in very hot water with sugar and a little cinnamon, then beaten vigorously with the molinillo until it rises into a thick foam. The court has taken such a frenzy for it that everyone wants to drink it in the morning. For Us, We taste it out of curiosity more than taste — but We understand that one becomes attached to it.
- •Grated cacao paste — one tablet (base of the drink)
- •Hot water — one bowl (liquid)
- •Sugar — to discretion (sweetens the bitterness)
- •Cinnamon — a pinch (flavor, signature)
Spanish-style chocolate, frothy with a molinillo
A hot, thick, and frothy drink made from grated cacao whisked with hot water, sugar, and cinnamon, raised with a molinillo (the Spanish wooden whisk). Bitter and comforting, it is an elite pleasure.
Why this dish? Chocolate arrived at the French court in the wake of Spanish queens; Louis XIV's wife, Marie-Thérèse of Austria, was fond of it, and Madame de Sévigné comments on its fashion in her letters. It was served beaten and frothy, perfumed with cinnamon, outside of large meals.
We were introduced to this beverage from Spain with the Queen our wife. The cacao paste is grated, diluted in very hot water with sugar and a little cinnamon, then beaten vigorously with the molinillo until it rises into a thick foam. The court has taken such a frenzy for it that everyone wants to drink it in the morning. For Us, We taste it out of curiosity more than taste — but We understand that one becomes attached to it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Grated cacao paste — one tablet (base of the drink)
- Hot water — one bowl (liquid)
- Sugar — to discretion (sweetens the bitterness)
- Cinnamon — a pinch (flavor, signature)
Ingredients
- 100% dark chocolate (cacao paste) or pure unsweetened cocoa — 40 g (or 3 tbsp) (base)
- Simmering water — 250 ml (liquid)
- Sugar — 2-3 tsp (sweetens)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 pinch (flavor, signature)
Method
- Finely grate or chop the cacao and place it in a heatproof bowl.
- Pour the simmering water, add sugar and cinnamon, and stir to dissolve.
- Beat vigorously with a whisk (or a molinillo, rolled between palms) until a thick foam forms on the surface.
- Serve immediately, piping hot, in a cup, scraping the foam over the top.
How it was made : In the 17th century, chocolate was drunk with water (not milk), beaten with a wooden molinillo imported from Spain to make it frothy. It was sweetened and heavily spiced with cinnamon, sometimes anise or musk. A morning and salon drink, it remained reserved for the wealthy elite.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a small cup 'cocoa espresso' style, foam dusted with cinnamon and orange zest, a nod to court fashion.
Sources : Madame de Sévigné, Letters, 1671 (on the fashion for chocolate) · Philippe Sylvestre Dufour, Traité nouveau et curieux du café, du thé et du chocolate, 1685
Louis XIV · Charactorium
