Helping families eat healthier for less

Helping families eat healthier for less

Friday, December 21, 2012

Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate Uses Froth-Making Gadget


Close up of plain skim milk that has been frothed

Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate

Caffé Frother by Bonjour

The theme for this month’s Recipe Redux is to talk about a favorite kitchen tool. Perhaps this will aid any last minute shoppers who still need to get a gift or two for someone.



My latest favorite gadget is a Caffé Frother by Bonjour. There may be other manufacturers. This tool is so cool. It makes fabulous froth in about a minute. It's almost like magic how it instantly turns skim milk into a thick froth. You can use it to make your favorite coffee/expresso-based drinks, including cappucino, café au lait, Irish coffee, and more. You can also use the frother to make a nonfat topping for desserts. You probably want to add some sweetness to the milk, such as a sugar substitute or a little honey or agave syrup if used as a dessert topping. This frother retails for about $25.

 
Plain skim milk in frother

You fill the special container with about a third of skim milk. Then push up and down on the plunger which adds air to the mixture, trippling the original volume. The frother works with fat free milk which makes it a fun way to enjoy this healthy beverage choice. The milk can be cold out of the refrigerator or heated on a stove top or in the microwave. You can add flavorings to the milk, if desired, such as vanilla extract, brandy, rum, or other liqueurs. The frother would also be great for eggnog this time of year.

My favorite way to use the frother, though, is to make Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate. Here is the complete recipe.

Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate
This recipe can be prepared in less than 5 minutes. It’s perfect on a cold morning or evening. One serving is only 142 calories, yet provides an excellent source of calcium and costs only $0.35.

Ingredients:
0.7 to 1.0 ounce Mexican chocolate (tablet, wedge, or powder)
2/3 cup of fat free milk
¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions:
If Mexican chocolate is a tablet or wedge, crush it to make a powder. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. (Do not let milk come to a boil.) Transfer mixture to frother and follow frother instructions. Pour into mug. Makes 1 serving. Note: To make more servings, simply multiply ingredients by the number of desired servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
142 calories, 3 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 6 g protein, and 69 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of calcium and a good source of protein and riboflavin.

Cost per Serving: $0.35 Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

Here is the type of Mexican chocolate I used:


Click here to download and print a copy of Frothy Mexican Chocolate recipe.

Be sure to check out these other blogs for more interesting tools and gadgets. get the InLinkz code