In Mexico, chocolate is mainly used to prepare hot chocolate, so when you hear people say “Mexican chocolate,” or chocolate de mesa, they usually mean chocolate made for this purpose. It’s grainy because it’s basically toasted ground cocoa mixed with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes vanilla, almonds, or both. I really love the fragrance of Mexican cinnamon, so I like to infuse some in the liquid for this ice pop to add more flavor. I decided to add little bits of chocolate and almonds to these paletas to give another layer of flavor and crunchiness. Who doesn’t love that?
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 to 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the cream, milk, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 4 ounces of the chocolate and stir until dissolved. Let cool over an ice bath, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill completely.
Step 2
Mix the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate with the almonds.
Step 3
Divide the cream mixture among the molds, leaving enough room for the almond mixture. If using conventional molds, don’t snap on the lids yet. Freeze until the mixture has a slushy consistency, 30 minutes. (This will keep the almond and chocolate mixture from sinking to the bottom.)
Step 4
Drop the almond mixture into the ice pops, dividing it evenly among the molds. If the pieces float, push them down with a small spoon or ice pop stick.
Step 5
If using conventional molds, snap on the lid and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (45 minutes to 1 hour), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours.
Step 6
If using an instant ice pop maker, gently fold the chocolate and almonds into the cream mixture prior to filling the molds and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
