Tag Archives: hazelnuts

Historical Hot Chocolate, 1631

Historical Hot Chocolate, from 1631, with anise, vanilla, chili, and more!

Thoughts:

This is the most decadent hot cocoa I have ever encountered.

Made thick and creamy by the emulsified ground nuts, it pours beautifully. There is a hint of robust smoky spiciness lent by the chipotle that compliments the chocolate, giving it a warm mouth feel no matter what temperature you serve it. The spice lingers on the back of the tongue, allowing the other flavors a turn. The anise is subtle, but with a distinct small bite, and traces of the cinnamon are there also. The annato doesn’t have much flavor, but adds a wonderful rich depth of color. 

This recipe was probably intended to be made with water, and possibly even served cold. I like using milk as the base, as it increases the creaminess of the drink. When it’s cold the oils from the nuts rise to the top in a very thin sheen. 

*Fun Fact: drinking chocolate did not violate the terms of fasting, as dictated by the Catholic Church. Win!* 


Recipe for Historical Hot Chocolate

“Take one hundred cocoa beans, two chillies, a handful of anise seed and two of vanilla (two pulverized Alexandria roses can be substituted), two drams of cinnamon, one dozen almonds and the same amount of hazelnuts, half a pound of white sugar and enough annatto to give some color. And there you have the king of chocolates.” -Curioso tratado de la naturaleza y calidad del chocolate (A Curious Treatise of the Nature and Quality of Chocolate), 1631

Cook’s Notes: Although nuts ground in a food processor can work in a pinch, I recommend using pre-ground flour, which will be a finer consistency that one can usually get at home. If you’d like it spicier, feel free to tweak the chili types/proportions to taste!

Ingredients:

  •  1/4 cup ground cocoa, unsweetened
  •  1 dried chili pepper (chipotle), ground or chopped fine
  • 1 anise star
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, or 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  •  2 tsp. almond flour
  •  1 tsp.  hazelnut flour
  •  2 Tbs. sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground annato for color    
  • pinch of cayenne (optional)
  • 2 cups milk

Combine all the ingredients with the milk in a medium saucepan. Heat gently for around 5 minutes, but do not bring to a boil. Strain into cups, and enjoy!

Hot chocolate ingredients

Roman Sweets

“…next I sing of honey, the heavenly ethereal gift…” -Virgil

Roman Stuffed Dates

Our Thoughts:

These are a purely natural, gluten and sugar free powerhouse of nominess. The texture of chewy date is complimented by the crunchy nut filling, and the whole is dripping with honey. They fit perfectly with my mental preconceptions of Ancient Roman dining. Imagine reclining on elegant couches, opulent fabrics rippling underneath you toward the exquisite mosaic on the floor. Course after course of decadence is served, yet this dish stands apart as the epitome of simple, delicious sweets.

Go on. You know you want to.


Roman Stuffed Dates

DULCIA DOMESTICA: LITTLE HOME CONFECTIONS (WHICH ARE CALLED DULCIARIA) ARE MADE THUS: LITTLE PALMS OR (AS THEY ARE ORDINARILY CALLED) DATES ARE STUFFED—AFTER THE SEEDS HAVE BEEN REMOVED—WITH A NUT OR WITH NUTS AND GROUND PEPPER, SPRINKLED WITH SALT ON THE OUTSIDE AND ARE CANDIED IN HONEY AND SERVED.

Ingredients:

  • Dried dates, pitted
  • crushed nuts – hazelnuts and cooked chestnuts are perfect
  • cinnamon and long pepper (or black pepper), 1 tsp. per 1/2 cup of nuts
  • honey to cover the stuffed dates
  • a jar to store them in

Chop the nuts small, and mix with cinnamon and pepper. Carefully stuff this mixture into the pitted dates, taking care to not overstuff and tear the fruit. Place the stuffed dates in a jar, propping the dates up to keep the nuts from spilling out. Continue this process until the jar is full. Pour honey over the stuffed dates until all the crevices are filled.