Cheese in Your Hot Chocolate? Yep. Chocolate con Queso #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating with a virtual birthday potluck for one of the group's organizers. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. 

This week I am hosting and asked everyone to celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day. I wrote: "January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day. Let's share our favorite versions of this delicious drink, recipes for any extra special touches (thinking homemade marshmallows!), or a food that has all of the trappings of hot chocolate (maybe chocolate cake with torched marshmallows on top). Okay, I clearly have marshmallows on the mind. Join me." Here's the line-up...

• 5 Minute Chilli Cinnamon Hot Chocolate from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Cheese in Your Hot Chocolate? Yep. Chocolate con Queso from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolat Chaud - French Hot Chocolate from Food Lust People Love
• Homemade Hot Chocolate Bombs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hot Chocolate Cookies from Making Miracles
• Mexican Hot Chocolate from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Nutella Hot Chocolate from Sneha's Recipe
• Salted Caramel Espresso Hot Cocoa (Salted Caramel Mocha) from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Spicy Hot Chocolate from The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen

Hot Chocolate Tasting

Before I decided on what I was going to share, we did a hot chocolate tasting with recipes from around the world. A Canadian version (photograph above, left) was sweetened with maple syrup and served with whipped cream; an American standard was hot chocolate with marshmallows (photograph above, right). 

Only Jake objected to the Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style which has rosewater in it. D, R, and I enjoyed the heavily floral concoction. But, in the end, the hot chocolate I decided to share was a drink from Columbia: Chocolate con Queso. 

Chocolate con Queso

Chocolate con Queso is an authentic Colombian hot chocolate served with cheese cubes. Yes, really. Cheese. It sounds odd to American ears, but it's a sweet, rich drink with a salty surprise. I read to get the saltiest, squeakiest cheese you can. I opted for a goat milk mozzarella. It was delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• ¼ cup honey or maple syrup (use less or more, depending on personal preference)
• 4 ounces cheese, such as halloumi or mozzarella (I used a goat milk mozarella
• Also needed: pot, molinillo or whisk

Procedure

Pour the milk into a pot. Add in the cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce heat to a simmer and add in the chocolate. Use a whisk or a molinillo to mix the chocolate and make the chocolate frothy.

Cut cheese into cubes and divide them between the mugs. Pour hot chocolate into the four mugs and serve immediately with a spoon.

After I ate the cubes in the bottom, I sliced off more cheese and dipped it into the chocolate. Delicious!

Happy National Hot Chocolate Day! I hope you are inspired to enjoy your favorite version to celebrate or try one of the versions offered by the #SundayFunday group. That's a wrap. We'll be back next week as we share hot breakfast ideas with Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni leading the discussion. Stay tuned...