Mexico: Mole and Chocolate

Walking around one of the artisan markets in Mexico City, we found a booth that sold nothing but mole.  Of course we had to try them all, and after that, how could we just walk away?  So we bought a quarter of a kilo of a dark, chocolaty, peppery paste and proceeded to spend a good hour figuring out how to “cook” it a few days later.  Finally we decided to do nothing but mix it with hot water so that it formed a smooth sauce, and oh was it good!  Meredith wanted to add even more chocolate, which is saying something, since she doesn’t like chocolate that much.  It was certainly better than a lot of moles I’ve had here in California, and maybe even some that I’ve had in Mexico. The last time I visited Meredith in Mexico, we babysat an adorable little baby boy.  Taking him for a walk (i.e. carrying him around) we found a delightful little chocolate cafe and dessert store.  There they make a decadent semisweet hot chocolate with chiles, Aztec hot chocolate.  Now Meredith lives within walking distance of this place, so we had to pay it a return visit, and the hot chocolate and gooey brownies with homemade chocolate ice cream did not disappoint!