Despite not having any snow days this year, and probably a cumulative two inches of snow throughout the entire winter season, senior Rodrigo Zamora still has memories of his favorite snowy day recipe: hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate may seem like the typical snow day sweet treat to make, but according to Zamora, the way he and his family make it is unlike the norm.

“My family is Mexican, so we don’t make it like a lot of other people do,” Zamora said.

Instead of the typical procedure of boiling water and pouring a pre-made hot chocolate powder packet into a mug and mixing it all up, the Zamora’s way could be considered a little bit more gourmet.

“We use this chocolate called Chocolate Abuelita, you can get it from FoodMaxx. It’s a bark, instead of a powder, so it’s so much more real,” Zamora said. “You first boil milk in a pot on the stove, instead of using water.”

To Zamora and his family, using milk makes the hot cocoa tremendously thicker and sweeter.

“Once the milk is boiled, you break up the Chocolate Abuelita and stir it into the milk until it’s melted,” Zamora said.

Following the melting of the chocolate, the mixture is put into a blender for one minute.

“By putting it in the blender, you get this layer of foam at the top. Foam is key,” Zamora said.

The hot cocoa is served with a layer of marshmallows, and left for the watering mouths of anyone around.

“I’ve tried other people’s hot chocolate and nothing comes close to the kind we make at home,” Zamora said. “It’s a tradition that I always want to carry on.”

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Abuelita
• Milk
• Marshmallows

Steps:

1. Turn stove to high, bring milk to a boil in pot
2. Stir in chocolate until melted
3. Pour liquid into blender, blend on high for 1 minute
4. Serve with marshmallows