FEEDS 12
Originally, chocolate was consumed by the Aztecs in liquid form, and Spanish conquistadores brought the custom home with them. The cinnamon dipping toasts are my take on churros without involving a deep fryer. Warm chocolate is less purely sweet, more subtle and interesting, like coffee. I spiced this up with ground cinnamon and chiles in honor of the Aztecs. You will need heat-resistant glasses to serve the chocolate.
For the Toasts
One 2-pound loaf country WHITE BREAD
1/2 cup OLIVE OIL
1 cup SUGAR
2 teaspoons ground CINNAMON
For the Chocolate
12 ounces quality BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, roughly chopped
1 quart heavy WHIPPING CREAM
2 cups WHOLE MILK
1/2 teaspoon ground CINNAMON
1/2 teaspoon ancho CHILE POWDER, or another pure chile powder
1/2 teaspoon pure VANILLA EXTRACT
To make the toasts, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut off the crust of the bread and slice the bread 1 inch thick. Lay the slices down and cut each slice across the short side of the bread so you have 1-inch-wide batons. Put the bread batons in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat the bread evenly. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, sprinkle the mixture over the bread batons, and toss to coat the bread. Lay the bread batons in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes, until the tops are light golden. Use tongs to turn the toasts over. Return them to the oven for about 15 minutes more, until they are brown and crisp all over. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
To prepare the hot chocolate, put the chocolate in a large stainless-steel bowl. Heat the cream and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until they just begin to bubble around the edges. Immediately pour the cream and milk over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate slightly. Whisk vigorously until the chocolate and cream are combined and smooth. Stir in the cinnamon, chile powder, and vanilla; taste and add more of any of these.
If you’re serving the chocolate right away, return the chocolate to the pan you warmed the cream and milk in and warm it over medium heat, stirring constantly. If you’re making it in advance, allow the chocolate to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it in an airtight container. (Use a microwavable container if you are going to reheat it in the microwave.)
Reheat the chocolate gently if it was refrigerated. Pour 1/2 cup of the chocolate into each glass and serve the toasts on the side for dipping.