Chocolate Caliente, Panetón y Mantequilla
Chocolate Caliente, Panetón y Mantequilla·(cho-ko-lah-teh kah-lyen-teh, pah-neh-tohn ee mahn-teh-kee-yah)
El Lonche (The Evening Bridge)
In Peru, hot chocolate isn't some powdery afterthought stirred into microwaved milk. It’s the undisputed king of El Lonche—that late afternoon bridge between lunch and dinner—and the bizarrely beloved centerpiece of sweltering summer Christmases. The secret here, the thing that makes it taste exactly like a grandmother's kitchen in Lima, is starting with a potent, dark tea of cinnamon and clove rather than dairy. Built on that aromatic foundation is the caramelized richness of evaporated milk, a pinch of cornstarch for velvety weight, and a finishing pat of salted butter. Served next to hot, buttered slices of slightly stale panetón, it is domestic comfort food perfected—a pure hit of unadulterated nostalgia.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Get the oven hot before you begin the chocolate so it is ready for the panetón toasts.
Ingredients
- water2 cup
- cinnamon sticks2 large
- whole cloves4 small
- orange peel1 med
- Peruvian chocolate para taza4 oz
- evaporated milk12 oz
- granulated sugar2 tbsp
- cornstarch1/2 tbsp
- cold water1 tbsp
- salted butter1 tsp
- vanilla extract1/4 tsp
- Panetón4 large
- salted butter2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Boil the spice infusion.
Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for five to eight minutes until the liquid turns a dark, aromatic amber. You cannot extract this deep flavor by steeping spices in fat, so do not skip this step.
- 02
Melt the chocolate.
Drop the heat to low, fish out the whole spices and peel with a slotted spoon, and immediately whisk in the chopped chocolate paste. Keep whisking until the chocolate is entirely melted, smooth, and glossy.
- 03
Incorporate the milk and sugar.
Pour in the evaporated milk and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine and keep the pot at a very gentle simmer; if you let it come to a hard boil, the milk proteins will separate and ruin the texture.
- 04
Thicken the hot chocolate.
Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry, then slowly whisk it into the hot pot. Keep whisking gently for about two minutes until the liquid transforms, gaining a velvety weight that just coats the back of a spoon.
- 05
Add the finishing gloss.
Turn off the heat and drop in the teaspoon of salted butter and vanilla extract. Stir until the butter vanishes, leaving a rich sheen on the surface that perfectly bridges the sweet and bitter notes.
- 06
Toast and butter the panetón.
Lay the thick slices of panetón directly on the rack of the preheated oven for five to eight minutes until the edges are crispy and the fruit sugars caramelize. Pull them out and immediately slather them with the softened salted butter.
- 07
Serve immediately.
Pour the thick chocolate into large mugs and serve alongside the warm, buttery toasts. The move here is to take a bite of the crispy panetón, followed by a sip of the hot chocolate, letting the flavors mix together.
Notes
Sourcing the chocolate.
Pure Peruvian cacao paste (chocolate para taza) is the authentic move here, often found at Latin markets under the brand Sol del Cusco. If you are stuck with standard American grocery stores, substitute 1/2 cup of high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 ounce of bittersweet baking chocolate to restore the fat structure.
From Cook Peruvian in America.