Cinn-a-Yummy Cozy Cocoa
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- microwave :
to heat or cook food or liquid quickly in a microwave oven, which uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to generate heat in the food's water molecules.
- pour :
to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.
Equipment Checklist
- Microwave
- Microwave-safe mug
- Potholder
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
- Metal spoon or mini whisk
- Liquid measuring cup
Ingredients
Cinn-a-Yummy Cozy Cocoa
- 1 T maple syrup
- 1 tsp cocoa powder **(for CHOCOLATE ALLERGY sub carob powder)**
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cinnamon (chef’s choice!)
- 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
- 1/2 C water
- 1/4 C room temp coconut cream **(for COCONUT ALLERGY sub heavy cream or full-fat plain or vanilla yogurt or dairy-free/nut-free yogurt)**
Food Allergen Substitutions
Cinn-a-Yummy Cozy Cocoa
- Coconut: Sub heavy cream, full-fat yogurt, or dairy-free/nut-free yogurt for coconut cream.
- Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.
- Chocolate: Substitute carob powder for cocoa powder.
Instructions
Cinn-a-Yummy Cozy Cocoa
measure + whisk
Measure and whisk together 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (kid chefs choose amount!), and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract in a clean microwavable mug. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and all lumps are gone.
measure + pour + whisk
Measure and pour 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup coconut cream into your mug and whisk again.
microwave + rest
Microwave for 1 minute. Let rest for 10 seconds and microwave for a final 30 seconds. Use a potholder to remove the mug from the microwave. Blow on it before sipping carefully! It will be hot!
Hi! I’m Cinnamon!
"Did you know that I'm a spice that comes from the inner bark of certain trees?! You can add me to both sweet and savory foods. Recipes generally call for ground cinnamon, but you can also use cinnamon sticks, dried strips of my bark that curl into a tube shape, to flavor apple cider, stews, curries, and more. Just don't forget to remove the stick before serving! And, what's more, I can make your kitchen and home smell wonderful!"
History
- Some people say the best kind of cinnamon, referred to as the "true cinnamon" and called Ceylon, is native to an island southeast of India called Sri Lanka. It has a more subtle flavor than other types. The most common cinnamon in use today, though, is derived from Cassia, which originated in China.
- Cinnamon is an ancient spice. It was imported to Egypt in about 2000 BCE. The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon together with myrrh to embalm the dead. They considered cinnamon to be more valuable than gold!
Anatomy & Etymology
- Cinnamon is the inner bark of some tree species of the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon trees can grow about 60 feet tall.
- Cinnamon farmers begin to harvest cinnamon when the tree reaches two years old. They cut the tree back so that shoots form from the stump. After one more year, the farmers strip the outer bark from the shoots and set the peels out to dry in the sun.
- When the bark dries, it curls into "quills," which are the sticks that are cut and sold as cinnamon sticks. They can also be ground into powdered cinnamon, which is how much of the cinnamon we see is sold in stores. So, what do a porcupine and a cinnamon tree have in common? They both grow quills!
- The word "cinnamon" comes from late Middle English derived from the Old French form, "cinnamome," from the Greek "kinnamon." The Greek was borrowed from a Phoenician word, which was similar to the related Hebrew word "qinnāmōn."
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Cinnamon is harvested twice a year, immediately after the rainy season. The humidity in the air makes the bark peel more easily.
- The bark is typically peeled by hand by skilled peelers.
- The quality of cinnamon is judged by the thickness of the bark, the appearance of the quills (broken or whole), the aroma, and the flavor.
- Cinnamon is a spice used to add flavor to a variety of dishes. For example, it may be added to desserts, chocolate, toast (in cinnamon sugar), fruit (especially apples), roasted veggies, soups, tea, and hot cocoa. It's also good in savory dishes like Bavarian pot roast, Moroccan chicken, and Indian curry.
Nutrition
- It is best to eat cinnamon in small doses in its ground form, sprinkling it on top of food or adding a small teaspoon to food. Eating too much cinnamon could cause adverse health effects.
- Cinnamon has one of the most recognizable scents. Its pungent, spicy smell is due to the chemical called "cinnamaldehyde." This chemical is considered an antioxidant that has some anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
- Cinnamon is believed to regulate the sugar in our blood and possibly lower cholesterol; however, study findings aren't clear.
- Cinnamon oil can keep mosquitoes away! It kills mosquito larvae and probably repels adult mosquitoes, too.
History of Hot Chocolate!
- Hot chocolate originated with the chocolate drink made by the Mayans around 500 BCE. They mixed chocolate seeds, ground into a paste, with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers. They would usually have the bitter beverage cold. Later, the Aztecs in Mesoamerica drank both cold and hot chocolate mixed with vanilla.
- Cortés brought chocolate and the method for making hot chocolate back to Spain from Mexico when he returned in 1528. Initially, only wealthy Spaniards could afford to consume chocolate and drinks made from it. Eventually, chocolate spread across Europe, and sugar was added to make the chocolate less bitter. Then, sometime in the 17th century, milk was added to the mix, and hot chocolate became more like the version we drink today.
- In the country of Trinidad and Tobago, they drink "cocoa tea," which is not really tea. Spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, are added with chopped dark chocolate or cocoa powder (or both) and sweetener to hot milk and simmered for a few minutes until the chocolate is melted and everything is dissolved and blended.
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Frozen hot chocolate was invented in the 1970s by an ice cream store owner, Steve Harrell, who wanted to enjoy the flavor of hot chocolate during the warm summer months.
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Hot cocoa bombs have become popular in recent years. They are made of chocolate or cocoa and are often hollow with mini marshmallows inside. Hot milk is poured over them to create hot cocoa at any time!
Let's Learn About Mesoamerica!
- Avocado, tomato, and chocolate. Your kids are likely familiar with at least some of these food items. But do they know that they originally came from Mexico and are based on words from the Nahua people? Nahuatl words "ahuacatl," "tomatl," and "chocolatl" were eventually adapted and adopted into English.
- The Nahua people were an ethnic group found in Mexico with deep cultural roots, and members of one Nahua group were the Aztecs.
- The Olmec were the first major Mesoamerican people and culture. They settled on a river city that archaeologists refer to as San Lorenzo. Historians consider the Olmecs to be one of the greatest civilizations in history. They advanced as artists, architects, engineers, traders, and sculptors without the benefits of migration or influence from other civilizations. Today, much of their culture has been lost, and some of the few artifacts that remain are stone carvings, wooden artifacts, and ruined cities.
- Civilizations that came after the Olmecs were influenced by them and borrowed ideas from them, including the Aztecs, Veracruz, Maya, and Toltec.
- Mesoamerican cultures had a 260-day calendar for rituals and a 365-day calendar for agriculture.
- People across Mesoamerica played a ritual sport called "ballgame" (in English). Courts were situated in the sacred precinct of a city. Players passed solid rubber balls to each other (no hands allowed!), and the object was to hit them between markers.
- The people relied heavily on corn, beans, and squash for food. They referred to them as the Three Sisters.
- Mesoamericans spoke more than 125 different languages.
- Mesoamericans used pictographic, ideographic, or picture writing. For example, for "I love apple," they would draw an eye, a heart, and an apple.