Mayan Sunrise Hot Chocolate

By Cathy Lea

This recipe was inspired by a visit to the Chocolate Maven Cafe in Santa Fe, NM. It is a funky bakery located in a warehouse district of Santa Fe. You can watch the bakers through a large window in the dining room while you eat. Their restaurant is high class and delicious, but we like to just stock up on all the wonderful baked goods and enjoy them for days. Do not forget to try the jumbo sized croissants.

At breakfast they serve a wonderfully spicy-sweet Mayan hot chocolate that I immediately fell in love with and decided I should make my own. Its subtle flavors of cinnamon and chile add just the right spice to make a bright morning. This is one of those drinks that starts off sweet and gradually builds a nice warm glow - like a sunrise.

Ingredients

 1 cup gourmet powdered hot cocoa mix (the good stuff)
 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground red chiles (or more if you like extra spice)

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together well. Add 3 heaping spoonfuls to a cup of hot water or hot milk.