Blanca Aldaco of Aldaco’s is set to be among a number of San Antonians on ABC’s “Good Morning America” at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

She will be joined by Mayor Julian Castro, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and others for the unveiling of a Times Square window that honors the city. The window, part of the show’s Holiday Windows series, was designed by Jill Giles, who also created the recently opened Bohanan’s Bar at 219 E. Houston St.

The window’s theme is Pride, Passion and Piñatas.

On Tuesday evening, Aldaco spread some San Antonian cheer in the form of her signature margaritas at a Mexican bistro near the theater district called Toloache, which refers to “an herb for lovers,” she said.

“It was a fantastic evening,” Aldaco said in a message on Facebook. “The CVB hosted an amazing, tasty event reflecting the food of S.A., female mariachi and my margaritas.”

In this recipe, infusing half-and-half with a vanilla bean yields an extra-rich hit of flavor. The Mexican chocolate plus cocoa powder makes a thick brew that is then given some zip with chile powder. The recipe calls for ancho chile, but be sure you get pure, plain chile powder, not a chili powder spice blend.

Ancient Aztec Cacahuatl  (Hot Chocolate)

5 cups half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
8 ounces Mexican chocolate, such as Abuelita, chopped
1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1-2 teaspoons (or to taste) ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons honey
Whipped cream for garnish
1-2 tablespoons slivered, unsalted almonds for garnish

In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, combine the half-and-half and vanilla bean. Heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.

[amazon-product]1558322906[/amazon-product]Reduce heat to low and add the chocolate and the cocoa powder. Whisk to combine. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Watch it closely so that it does not boil over.

Add the chile powder, a little at a time, to taste. Stir in the honey and blend. Discard the vanilla bean.

Pour the hot chocolate into 8 small cups and top with the whipped cream and slivered almonds.

Makes 8 cups.

From “Hot Chocolate” by Fred Thompson

(photo: radek bayek)

This recipe calls for Scharffen Berger cocoa powder plus bittersweet chocolate from the same producer. A pinch of salt tempers this quite sweet recipe for hot chocolate. On the top (of the chocolate whipped cream),  for those who really, really want their chocolate, is a garnish of more, shaved, bittersweet chocolate.

American Hot Chocolate with Chocolate Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Scharffen Berger cocoa powder
4 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate (70- to 75-percent cacao), chopped
Large pinch kosher salt
5 cups whole milk
Grated bittersweet chocolate for garnish (optional)

In small bowl using an electric mixer, whip the cream with 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar until it forms firm peaks. Set aside.

[amazon-product]1558322906[/amazon-product]In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate, the remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa powder and 4 tablespoons of sugar, the salt and the milk.  Place the mixture over medium heat, whisk gently. Once the chocolate melts and the cocoa dissolves, raise the heat to medium-high, whisk more vigorously to form a froth on the surface. When the mixture bubbles around the edges and seems ready to boil, remove from heat. Do not let it boil.

Ladle the hot chocolate into 4 cups with some of the froth on each. Spoon a dollop of chocolate whipped cream on top, and sprinkle with grated chocolate, if desired.

Makes 4 cups of chocolate.

From “Hot Chocolate” by Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson’s book, “Hot Chocolate”  (Harvard Common Press, $12.95), has a prominent place on my cookbook shelf, though I’m interested in this topic only a few months out of the year.

Right on cue, cold temps are promised this week as December begins.  Meaning Thompson’s book is officially off my shelf and presenting me with temptations. These include Italian Hot Chocolate with Orange Whipped Cream or the recipe for Ancient Aztec Cacahuatl,  made with a vanilla bean and a fiery dose of pure ancho chile powder.

If you want to make classic American Hot Chocolate, his recipe calls for Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and chopped, 70- to 75-percent cacao, bittersweet chocolate.

Hot chocolate is great with cookies, but another perfect accompaniment is dark, moist gingerbread. This isn’t the crunchy cookie. It’s dark, cake-y and delicious. We enjoyed this treat when our Thanksgiving hosts, Pam and Cecil Flentge, sent some home with us at the end of the evening to have for breakfast. I’m thinking Emily’s Gingerbread, from M.F.K. Fisher’s book, “How to Cook a Wolf,” would also be very welcome on Christmas morning and make good Yuletide gifts for friends, too.

[amazon-product]1558322906[/amazon-product]Here, from “Hot Chocolate,”  are a few tips for making a good, hot cup of chocolate:

• True chocolate, what you find in chocolate bars or chips with a high content of cacao, will give you a much richer “centerpiece” for hot chocolate than does cocoa powder.
• To make the best hot chocolate, keep on hand a good chef’s knife for slicing into bars of chocolate (try to shave chocolate rather than chop, as it will melt better). Also, a good balloon whisk and a double boiler for melting are useful.
• Using water instead of milk to make hot chocolate will give you the most intense chocolate flavor. Using low-fat milk is a good choice if you want just a bit of creaminess.  If you like cream, make it that way — it just depends on how intense you want the chocolate flavor to come through.
• If intense chocolate taste is your goal, use the higher-end, 70-percent cacao chocolates.

Orange with chocolate is a flavor that the Italians love, as anyone who has visited that country knows. They also like to pile on the cream. Here, the whipped cream topping the hot chocolate is enriched with orange zest.

Italian Hot Chocolate with Orange Whipped Cream

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups whole milk
Zest from 1 orange
1 cup whipped cream, for garnish

[amazon-product]1558322906[/amazon-product]In a double boiler over low heat, warm the chocolate and sugar until melted. Turn off the heat. Slowly whisk in the milk until fully combined.

Lightly fold orange zest into the whipped cream. Pour the hot chocolate into 4 mugs and top each with a dollop of orange whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

From “Hot Chocolate” by Fred Thompson

Earlier this year, John Griffin lent me his copy of “How to Cook a Wolf” by M. F. K. Fisher, an entertaining book written in 1942 during a time of war and shortages. The content seemed particularly timely in light of today’s economy, so the delightful read rang true on several levels. Fisher’s light style and sage advice were only part of the attraction. Several of her intriguing recipes found their way into my recipe collection.

I enjoy recipes that include steps that show me the science behind the cooking. In the recipe for Edith’s Gingerbread, two steps fascinate me. The first is “beat the ½ teaspoon soda into the molasses until it is light and fluffy.” I’d not read a recipe that combined baking soda into molasses before, and I had great doubts that the dark, thick goo of molasses could ever achieve a consistency referred to as “light and fluffy.” However, that’s just what happened as I followed the instructions. The second interesting step to me is to then place an additional ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to boiling water. I don’t completely understand the chemical reaction here, but it’s fun anyway.

When our Thanksgiving dinner guests departed this season, I sent each of them home with a small prize for the following day’s breakfast: one of Bonnie Walker’s yummy Raspberry Lemon Muffins and a slice of Edith’s Gingerbread. Comments were quite positive! Be sure to save some for the folks in your house to enjoy. It also freezes beautifully. I’ve added a few notes to help clarify a few points that were fuzzy to me in the original recipe.

Edith’s Gingerbread

¼ cup shortening
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger (Note: If using fresh ginger, use 2 teaspoons peeled, finely chopped ginger root)
Cloves (I used 1/8 teaspoon cloves)
Salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda in ½ cup molasses
¼ teaspoon baking soda in ¾ cup boiling water
1 beaten egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

[amazon-product]0865473366[/amazon-product]Cream the shortening and sugar together. Sift the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, flour and baking powder together. Beat the ½ teaspoon soda into the molasses until it is light and fluffy, and add to the shortening and sugar. Add the ¼ teaspoon soda to the boiling water, and then add it alternately with the sifted dry ingredients. Fold in the beaten egg when all is well mixed. Pour into a greased and floured pan and bake for 20 minutes (Note: I’ve used both a 9-by-9 -inch pan and a loaf pan with good results but needed about 35 minutes baking time. Test with a toothpick and when it comes out clean, the gingerbread is ready). This mixture will seem too thin to make a cake but do not increase the quantity of flour.

Makes one loaf or one pan gingerbread.

From “How to Cook a Wolf” by M.F.K. Fisher