Para Nuestra Virgencita de Guadalupe

Traditionally, we greet the dawn on the feast of Nuestra Virgencita with Mass and Las Mañanitas.  The local panaderias are packed in the early morning and in most kitchens there is the familiar smells of champurrado or hot ponche.

We awoke to sing to nuestra Virgencita!

Request her prayers

(a special request was made as a good friend has lost her mother today)

After our Little Flowers meeting & Lucy's Hospitality Program at her Nina's;

we feasted on a nice dinner

Fajitas de Pollo

Arroz Rojo con aguacate

Tortillas de Harina

Pan Dulce

&

Hot Champurrado

Cecilia couldn't wait to eat her pan

As mentioned over @ Catholic Cuisine

Champurrado is a thick Chocolate drink, served hot and made with corn flour (masa harina, I like to use Maseca).

Most Latino households have one version or another of a champurrado recipe (or receta).  Really they'll vary between families. 

But basics stay the same

Ground Masa

Chocolate

A form of Sugar

Cinnamon

Whole Milk & Water

My mom has her own version.  She has never written her recipe down and I always forget the ingredients.  There are like 20 something items in hers. 

My MIL's comarde has a recipe that....shhhh don't tell my mom....but it's super duper good!!! 

My SIL uses that recipe, and again I've never written it down.  I just depend on the goodness of their kitchens to make me some. 

Honestly, I just need to write these recipes down once and for all.

Here is one that I think taste pretty good (with some variations) from the web:

* Ingredients *

3 cups of water

2 cinnamon sticks

1 anise star

¼ cup masa harina

2 cups whole milk

½ disk Mexican chocolate,

chopped (Abuelita or Ibarra chocolate) more if you like your drink richly chocolate.

note: you can use a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate if you can't find either of the two mentioned above.

3 ounces piloncillo, chopped or 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (if you can get the piloncillo don't substitute)

* Directions *

In a large saucepan boil milk with the two cinnamon sticks and anise star. Remove from the heat, cover and let the cinnamon sticks and anise star steep for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and anise star, return to low heat and slowly add the masa harina to the warm milk, whisking until combined. If you happen to have a molinillo, use it; it works better than the whisk.
Add water, chocolate, and piloncillo next.

Continue to whisk away. 
The masa in the drink can easily burn and ruin the whole batch, low heat and a continuous whisk will keep it from burning.

Continue to heat until boiling; reduce the heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Don't walk away from the pot though.  And I would continue whisking until you serve.

(This recipe is pretty easy and can be adjusted to your taste.  Some like their champurrado thicker than others do.  Add less or more milk for the thickness.  I wouldn't add more water.  Some like to add ground cloves.  Some like to do the mix of the masa and milk in a blender.  The options are totally open)

However you observe December 12th isn't the important part.  It's knowing that Our Lady is with us praying for us and taking those request to Jesus.

Dios te salve María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo bendita tu eres entre todas las mujeres y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre Jesús

Ruega Por Nosotros, Madre de Dios