Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe

Chocolate de Mesa discs

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. whole raw almonds (if you prefer to omit the nuts consider a maca powder or powdered oats)
• 2 ½ cups roasted organic cacao nibs
• 2 4-inch organic true cinnamon quills (sticks) (Cinnamomum verum)
• 1/2 tsp. organic nutmeg powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Warm water
• Organic true cinnamon powder and organic nutmeg powder for dusting

Directions

• Lightly roast whole almonds in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until golden (about four minutes).
• Place almonds in a blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
• Roast cacao nibs in the iron skillet over medium high, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until dark and slightly shiny (about four minutes). Set aside.
• Shred cinnamon in blender or food processor until finely powdered.
• Add toasted cacao nibs to blender or food processor with cinnamon, and process to a coarse powder, carefully taking breaks to scrape up the bottom and keep the blend stirred. Add to roasted almond meal in bowl.
• Add nutmeg, sugar, and sea salt to the bowl and mix together. Keep mixing until ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. The mix should be coarse like ground coffee.
• Add vanilla extract and tablespoons of warm water one at a time, working the mix with your hands until it becomes moldable. You may need to add up to 3 or 4 tablespoons of warm water.
• Once the mix is moldable, pack firmly into shallow, round ceramic or plastic candy molds. Use a frosting spatula or flat end of a butter knife to smooth out the top and remove any excess mix until the top is smooth and flush with the mold edges. Alternatively, you can hand-shape the tablets.
• Dust the tops with cinnamon and nutmeg powders, and press into the surface.
• Use the spatula to score lines into quarter portions onto the surface.
• Let the molds rest on a counter for 4 hours so the discs can set up. Then use the spatula to carefully work them out of the molds.
• Wrap the discs individually in tissue paper or parchment. Once they are completely dry and brittle to the touch, seal in a container and store for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Makes 6 cups of hot chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 Chocolate de Mesa disc
• 6 cups milk or milk alternative

Directions

• Crumble an entire disc of Chocolate de Mesa into a saucepan with six cups of milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.
• Whisk frequently over medium heat until the disc dissolves completely and the hot chocolate begins to steam. Let the chocolate and cinnamon flavors steep into the milk as long as possible without scorching or simmering the milk.
• Whisk the hot chocolate until frothy.
• Run the hot chocolate through strainer
• Pour into mugs.