Layers of mystery

SO rare and precious was chocolate centuries ago that the Aztec emperor Montezuma sipped it from a golden cup. Never would he have imagined that his elixir’s prized ingredient would become an everyday luxury as it is today.

In modern Mexico, chocolate is still primarily something to drink, whipped to a froth with a wooden beater called a molinillo. Its other common use is in moles, adding depth and color to these rich, savory sauces.

Oddly enough, though, Mexican chocolate rarely, if ever, appears in desserts. But if you think about it, Mexican chocolate is a natural for the baker’s pantry. Not only is it already sweetened, but it’s also often made with vanilla, cinnamon or almonds.

Given these nuances of flavor, a dessert made with Mexican chocolate is irresistibly intriguing. It’s chocolate, but with a subtle, mysterious difference.

In the old days, Mexican women ground cacao beans on a metate, or grinding stone, warmed over a fire to extract the oil, then adding different seasonings. Today, the chocolate is produced in modern factories, but remains faithful to the old traditions.

The Mexican chocolate you’re likely to find in supermarkets is formed into round tablets that have been scored so they can easily be broken into smaller pieces. Two of the most common brands are Ibarra and Abuelita; they’re packaged in distinctive hexagonal boxes. Both work equally well in desserts; Abuelita has a stronger cinnamon flavor for when you want to play up the spice flavor.

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Distinctive taste

MEXICAN chocolate’s unique composition and texture mean you can’t substitute it freely for other chocolate when baking. Because it’s very sweet, the sugar in a recipe may have to be reduced. And unlike other chocolates, which are smooth and shiny, Mexican chocolate is dry and granular.

So if a cake recipe calls for regular baking chocolate, don’t swap it out entirely for Mexican chocolate. You’ll need to use a little regular chocolate to keep the cake moist.

This trick works well in a Mexican chocolate layer cake, with that little bit of regular chocolate boosting the intensity of chocolate flavor. This velvety cake is frosted with a rich ganache frosting made mostly with Mexican chocolate too.

Just as luxurious is the ganache dipping sauce that’s served with churros at Cobras & Matadors. It’s made simply with Mexican chocolate and cream and comes together in minutes. For the churros, instead of a traditional churro recipe, we pulled together a quick pate a choux (cream puff dough) and piped it into hot oil. It worked beautifully.

Probably the most common dessert in Mexico is flan, but chocolate versions are rare. We reworked a traditional recipe with Mexican chocolate and came out with a dessert so rich that a sliver is enough.

This silky flan, the moist layer cake and the luxurious churro dip are just the beginning. There’s a whole range of possibilities for Mexican chocolate.

Perhaps this once rare ingredient is even more precious than Montezuma thought.

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Churros and chocolate dip

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: Makes about 18 to 20 (4-inch) churros

Note: The chocolate dip recipe is from Cobras & Matadors. The restaurant uses Ibarra brand Mexican chocolate. The churros are made with a pate a choux (cream puff paste) recipe adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.

Chocolate dip

5 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Place the chocolate and cream in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

Churros

6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) butter, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup flour

2 eggs

Oil for frying

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil in a saucepan with the butter, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the butter has melted. Meanwhile, measure out the flour.

2. Remove the butter mixture from the heat and immediately pour all the flour into the pan. Beat vigorously with a wooden spatula or spoon for several seconds to blend thoroughly, then return the pan to the stovetop.

3. Beat over moderately high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and the spoon, forms a mass and begins to film the bottom of the pan.

4. Remove the pan from the heat, and make a well in the center of the paste with the spoon. Immediately break an egg into the center of the well. Beat it into the paste for several seconds until it has been absorbed. Repeat with the second egg, beating it in until absorbed. Beat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to be sure the mixture is well blended and smooth.

5. Spoon the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a three-fourths-inch star tip.

6. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees. Pipe churros directly into the oil in strips or loops, using a spatula to cut off each churro from the pastry tip. Fry 3 to 4 at a time, separating the churros if they begin to stick together; don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until dark golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the churros to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the paste.

7. Serve immediately with chocolate dip.

Each of 20 churros with 1 teaspoon dip: 150 calories; 2 grams protein; 9 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 34 mg. cholesterol; 23 mg. sodium.

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Mexican chocolate layer cake

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Serves: 10 to 12

Note: From Mary Ellen Rae of the Times Test Kitchen. An unsweetened chocolate such as Scharffen Berger 99% cacao boosts the cake’s chocolate

flavor.

Cake

3 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, separated, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups milk, room

temperature

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Set aside.

2. Melt the Mexican chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, mixing just until all traces of flour are incorporated, ending with flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, gently smoothing the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of each pan to loosen the cakes. Remove the cakes from the pans and the parchment paper from the cakes. Cool completely before frosting.

Ganache frosting

and assembly

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

2ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur

1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan just until simmering.

2. Place the chopped Mexican chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for a few minutes, then gently whisk until the chocolate has melted. Stir in the butter until melted, then add the corn syrup and Kahlua. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until stiff enough to spread. With a spatula, beat the ganache to make it smooth and spreadable.

3. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving platter. Frost the top with about one-third of the ganache, spreading it to the edges. Top with the second cake layer, again bottom side up. Spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake.

Each of 12 servings: 589 calories; 8 grams protein; 68 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 34 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 119 mg. cholesterol; 153 mg. sodium.

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Mexican chocolate flan

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes plus chilling time

Servings: 10 to 12

2 cups milk

2 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 cup heavy whipping cream

10 egg yolks

1. Place the milk in a medium saucepan with the chocolate and one-fourth cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until the chocolate and sugar are dissolved, stirring to blend in the chocolate, about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and stir in the whipping cream. Set aside.

2. Place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large skillet over high heat. When the sugar starts to melt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is clear and golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Quickly spoon the caramel over the bottom and around the sides of a glass 8-inch round cake dish. Set aside until firm.

3. Lightly whisk the egg yolks, then mix them into the milk mixture. Pour into the baking dish, place in a pan of hot water and bake at 325 degrees until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Place on a rack to cool slightly, then refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Gently release the flan from the dish by running the tip of a knife around the edge. Use your fingers to gently pull the sides away from the edge. Place a serving platter on the cake dish and invert the flan onto the platter.

Each of 12 servings: 285 calories; 5 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 15 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 202 mg. cholesterol; 30 mg. sodium.