For these cold or rainy afternoons, few treats are as enjoyable as a cup of hot champurrado. This traditional Mexican drink, prepared with chocolate and a thick consistency, is one of the favorites to accompany pan de muerto (Day of the Dead bread), tamales, or simply to indulge yourself during autumn mornings and afternoons. In addition, its chocolate and cinnamon flavor recalls grandmother’s homemade recipes.
If you want to learn how to make it at home, today we share a recipe that Abue Angie shared, the content creator who gained popularity on social networks thanks to her traditional Mexican cooking recipes.
This version of champurrado uses milk, table chocolate, cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch, an ingredient that helps give it a thicker consistency. The preparation is simple and does not require too many ingredients, so you can make it at home to share with your family or enjoy it during a rainy afternoon. Here we explain how to prepare it step by step so that it turns out well blended and with that comforting flavor that is so desired in autumn.
How to prepare traditional champurrado step by step | Abue Angie’s Recipe
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1 liter of whole milk or lactose-free milk.
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1 bar of table chocolate.
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1 cinnamon stick.
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Cornstarch.
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1 liter of water to dissolve the cornstarch.
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1 and a half tablespoons of sugar, or to taste.
1. Warm the milk with the cinnamon and the chocolate. Place the liter of milk in a wide pot and add the cinnamon stick along with the bar of table chocolate. Heat over medium heat and stir occasionally with a spoon to help the chocolate melt and integrate with the milk. Be sure to watch the preparation to prevent the milk from boiling over.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in water. While the milk is heating, place the three tablespoons of cornstarch in a container and gradually add the liter of water until the powder dissolves completely. Mix well to avoid lumps at the bottom. This step is important because, if you add the cornstarch directly to the hot milk, it can form small balls that are hard to undo and affect the champurrado’s texture.
3. Incorporate the cornstarch when the milk begins to boil. When the milk with the chocolate reaches its first boil and the chocolate is fully dissolved, lower the heat a bit and add the cornstarch mixture in a thin stream, while continuing to stir. Do it gradually so it blends evenly with the milk and chocolate.
4. Add the sugar and let it thicken. Add one and a half tablespoons of sugar and stir until it dissolves. Then, let the champurrado simmer gently for about eight minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
5. Serve the champurrado hot. Once the preparation has reached the desired consistency and all ingredients are well integrated, remove the cinnamon stick and turn off the heat. Serve the champurrado in cups and enjoy it hot, alone or accompanied by sweet bread, tamales or homemade cookies. If, upon resting, it becomes too thick for your taste.
