Recipe/Review: Guilt-free New World Drinking Chocolate

I recently played The Atkins Diet game. Even though my favorite foods are carb-rich, I was faithful. Going into it, I really thought my issues would be the lack of bread, pasta, and rice. To make matters worse, I am a vegetarian, so that precludes a lot of the more satisfying items that can be liberally eaten: chicken, steak, fish.

I was able to make satisfying meals using tofu, vegetables, cheese, and eggs, and although I did miss grains, it wasn't nearly the issue I thought it would be. You know what I missed most? Fruit, juice, and creamy rich sweet drinks. Go figure.

I got to a point where I just had to have something sweet, or I was going to cheat or give up the diet. I have a bias against artificial sweeteners, so that wasn't an option. A recent conversation with visiting friends reminded me of the supplement called stevia. I had it in a sample of something years ago, and thought it was awful.

I have always dismissed it since, but thought it would be worth another chance. I am so glad I did! I ended up with a concoction that is worthy of non-dieting consumption, and the idea of being able to indulge in this on a diet-well, it might just be what is needed (for people with a sweet tooth, like me) to stick it out.

I decided to make something chocolaty to tame my craving, but wanted to make it really special. I decided to go for a drink so fabulous it could serve a dessert-a newer world mock up of the ancient Aztec concoction that was so coveted by Europeans after the Conquistadors brought it back from the New World.

It's made with unsweetened soy milk, pure cocoa powder, and stevia, so it is dairy free, sugar free, and is low in fat. With the product brands I used, it also clocks in at under 100 calories. Below is the recipe and directions.

New World Drinking Chocolate

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened soy milk (Silk brand is an excellent choice.)
1 rounded tablespoon of cocoa powder (plain baking cocoa)
A couple sprinkles of cinnamon
Small pinch of cayenne--or to taste
1-2 packets of stevia

Directions

Place the soy milk and cocoa powder into a blender or Magic Bullet, and blend until the cocoa is incorporated well, about 15 seconds. Using an espresso machine, steam the mixture until it doubles in size, or reaches 160 degrees. Add 1-2 packets of stevia (sweetening to taste,) a sprinkling of cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne, and mix gently with a spoon. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

Notes

Although I recommend steaming the chocolate soy milk, because it adds the amazing depth of rich consistency central to the ancient Aztec drink, it is fine to simply heat the mixture up in a saucepan on the stove top, or even microwave. After doing so, just continue with the directions as stated.

It is important to use a blender to mix the cocoa with the milk prior to heating, as it doesn't dissolve evenly otherwise. If you aren't using the steaming method, consider blending it for up to a minute, as it seems to thicken it a bit.

Of course, this recipe can be easily amended in myriad ways. Forgoing the spices, adding different ones, using table sugar or dairy milk, adding a bit of half and half for richness, or a couple drops of natural extracts are only examples of ways you can cater it to your own dieting ideals.

Stevia is unlikely to be found at mainstream grocery stores, although some larger ones with good natural foods sections may carry it. It is easily found in markets catering to natural foods, such as Whole Foods. It can be found in the supplement section. It comes in liquid form, granules, and granule packets. I highly recommend the packets, as each one seems perfectly portioned to add to drinks. They're also easy to carry, so you always have a healthy sweetener on hand!

One final note, the other night I was craving ice cream or some kind of frozen treat, so I decided to try this cold. I simply put all the ingredients in the blender and tried it-it was outrageously delicious; it tasted like a milkshake!