Skip to main content

Polvillo

I first tasted this drink in Tabasco, where they grow some of the best cacao, and fell in love with it. It’s traditionally made with freshly ground toasted cacao beans, but in this recipe I call for I cocoa powder because it’s more readily available. Pinole is a flour made from toasted dried corn kernels. It has a wonderful nuttiness and is often mixed with cinnamon and sugar and stirred into water or milk for a delicious beverage. You can find it at specialty grocery stores and online. In Mexico, many people think the natural sweetness of the corn is enough, but I included sugar in this recipe because I think it’s more of an acquired taste. Honey is also quite nice in this beverage, so substitute it for the sugar if you prefer.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

8 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup pinole
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the water and sugar in a pitcher and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cocoa powder, pinole, and cinnamon.

    Step 2

    Refrigerate until completely chilled. Just before serving, whisk the beverage vigorously so it’s frothy, or better yet, if you have a molinillo, use it instead of the whisk. Serve over ice.

Reprinted with permission from Paletas, Authentic Recipes For Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice, & Aguas Frescas, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. As the country's most authoritative voice on Mexican sweets, FANY GERSON has been featured in the New York Times, Gourmet, Fine Cooking, Daily Candy, Village Voice, NY Daily News, Time Out magazine, and New York magazine, among other publications. She recently launched the acclaimed La Newyorkina, a Mexican frozen treats and sweets business that began with her love for paletas. A graduate of the culinary Institute of America, Fany has worked in a range of fine-dining kitchens around the world. Visit www.lanewyorkina.com for more information.
Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
Glossy, intensely chocolaty, and spiked with coffee and sour cream, this Bundt is the ultimate all-purpose dessert.
Not your grandma’s bran muffins, these fiber-rich baked goods are loaded with dates, almonds, and slivers of dark chocolate.
Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.
Tingly, salty, and irresistibly crunchy, this salt-and-pepper shrimp with cubes of crispy polenta (yes, from those tubes!) is a weeknight MVP.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
You’ll want to put this creamy (but dairy-free) green sauce on everything and it’s particularly sublime under crispy-skinned salmon.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.