One of my former foster children adamantly dislikes chocolate. His sister often pointed out, “What do you think Oreos are?” because he ate Oreos. But give him anything thing else with chocolate, and he was Not. Having. It. I’m pretty sure he’d hate Chocolate Green Sauce.
I adore green sauce … and chocolate. What I’ve grown to love most is a rich, dark chocolate—not too sweet, not too bitter—and I’m even happier if a little heat gets added in. I indulged in a guajillo pepper and chocolate candy bar I picked up at a corner store in New York City that was almost perfection.
Since dear sweet husband says I can put green sauce on everything, I thought I’d try putting something different in it—dark chocolate—and take the sauce to new places, like ice cream and cupcakes. I also tested it in a traditional Mexican dish—enchiladas—and it tasted delicious! You’ll find a link to it below.
Jump to RecipeA Brief History of Chocolate
In ancient Mexico, chocolate was important, and it was decidedly different from today’s chocolate. Between 1400 and 1500 B.C.—possibly as early as 1750 B.C.—the Olmecs made a beverage using fermented cacao, water, peppers and other spices. It was strong and bitter. It spread into Mayan and Aztec cultures and was used as an offering in rituals. Only elite drank it.
The chocolate beverage was sweetened after being brought back to Spain, and the rest is …. more recent history. It spread to other countries who put their own spin on it. Then manufacturing brought chocolate to the masses, and today it seems the whole world is crazy about chocolate … well almost. There are those few holdouts like my foster son and a misfortunate few who are allergic!
About Chocolate Green Sauce
The intent of this recipe is to honor the Mexican past with the use of unsweetened dark chocolate, peppers and spices, even as it innovates traditional Mexican fare.
If you already have my Green Sauce on hand, the chocolate version is pretty simple: just heat, add chocolate, and it’s ready to eat or use in a recipe, like my chocolate enchiladas. I tried powdered and block chocolate and there is a slight difference in the results, but either one will work.
If you add a little sweetener to the sauce, it makes an interesting ice cream topping. My husband and I shared a banana split with the sauce on it. Tasty! I bet you could put it in brownies for an amazing effect.
“I’m pretty sure that eating chocolate keeps wrinkles away because I have never seen a 10 year old with a Hershey bar and crows feet.”
― Amy Neftzger
Chocolate Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 C green sauce
- 1 to 2 TBSP unsweetened dark chocolate cubed or powder
- For dessert topping only: 2 TBSP honey or other sweetener to taste
Instructions
- Heat green sauce on medium.
- If using dark chocolate powder, slowly add into green sauce and stir in completely. If using dark chocolate cube, stir often until completely melted in sauce.