Kare 11 Showcase Minnesota – Guatemalan Mole
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Indulge Your Sweet Tooth at Minnesota History Center’s “Chocolate” Exhibit

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn.– Chef Amalia Moreno-Damgaard joined us today to talk about “Chocolate: The Exhibition,” now open at the Minnesota History Center. The exhibit is a great way to explore the plant, the products, and the culture of chocolate through the lenses of science, history and popular culture.

Amalia also showed us how to make a Guatemalan desert with a chocolate-based mole sauce. She demonstrated a spicy drink made with chocolate.

Chocolate: The Exhibition is open now through Jan. 2, 2011 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. For more information, call 651-259-3000 or visit www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/chocolate.

Chocolate de Guatemala

4 cups hot water or hot milk
9.5 oz. (or two rounds) of Guatemalan chocolate
1 molinillo (wooden whisk)
1 heat resistant ceramic pitcher, deep pot or saucepan

Combine the chocolate and hot water (or milk) and whisk vigorously to dissolve holding the molinillo between your palms and rotating it back and forth to create a whirl effect. Once chocolate is dissolved, continue whisking until the mixture is thick and frothy, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Guatemalan Mole

Wet ingredients:

3 vine ripened tomatoes and 2 husked tomatillos, skins blistered on a skillet until dark brown and mushy
1 chile guaque, seeded, pan roasted until aromatic (about 1 min.) then soaked in hot water for 15 min. (substitute for Mexican Guajillo)
1 chile pasa, seeded, pan roasted until aromatic (about 1 min.) then soaked in hot water 15 min. (substitute for Mexican pasilla)
2 oz. of the chiles soaking water
1 tsp. Canola oil

Dry ingredients:

3 tbsp. ground roasted pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp. ground roasted sesame seeds
2 tsp. ground Guatemalan cinnamon (substitute for ground Mexican cinnamon)
2-3 oz. of Guatemalan chocolate (substitute for Mexican chocolate)
Seasonings
1 tsp. of sugar
1 pinch of Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Thickener
2-3 tbsp. sweet Spanish or Latin cookie crumbs (Galletas Maria) for thickening
1 tsp. of each roasted sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds for garnish

Puree all wet ingredients in a blender. Transfer the puree to a hot skillet and cook until bubbly about two minutes.
Gradually add the dry ingredients making sure they are well incorporated into the sauce. The chocolate can be broken into small pieces to make it easier to melt.

Lastly, taste, and then add the remaining ingredients beginning with the sugar and then the salt. Taste again. To thicken the sauce, add half of the cookie crumbs, or more, to thicken to about the consistency of spaghetti sauce.