Eats: Mayan Hot Chocolate

Hello! Cold here this weekend, so I treated myself to some homemade hot chocolate:

It may look like an ordinary mugful of hot chocolate, but believe me, this is probably the most unusual recipe for this beverage that I have! And what makes it so unusual? Read the recipe and you'll see:

Mayan Hot Chocolate (recipe source unknown)
1 cup milk
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch each nutmeg and cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cooked, pureed butternut squash (or other winter squash)

Mix milk, chocolate and spices in a small saucepan. Heat until chocolate is melted and creamy, stirring constantly. Whisk in pureed squash and reheat until hot. Makes one large or two small servings. 

Notes: my recipe originally called for a pinch of cardamon instead of  cayenne pepper, but I made the swap. It also calls only for butternut squash, but I had cooked pie pumpkin in the refrigerator, so that's what I used. I used skim milk. I didn't think of it at the time, but a dash of vanilla would be nice. 

The recipe is written for stovetop cooking, but I'd think it could be adapted for the microwave too; I'll have to try that sometime.

Could I tell that the pumpkin was there? Yes, I could taste it, and it made my hot chocolate thicker too. The thickness was a little off-putting, but overall this was good, and think of winter squash this way: it adds nutrition to the hot chocolate, and that's a good thing! 

So, if you want, pick up an extra can of pumpkin at the grocery store this week, or save a bit of cooked winter squash the next time you're having it for dinner, and try Mayan Hot Chocolate.