Cocoa Tea

Holy cow!  I am never drinking regular hot chocolate again!  When I went to the market, I saw these strange sticks that kind of looked like weird cigars.  I asked the lady what they were and she told me they were Cocoa Sticks and that Dominicans use it to make Cocoa Tea (pronounced "kako").

I made this tonight and it was so amazing.  Probably the best hot chocolate I have ever had.  You make this
tea" with condensed milk, coconut milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and of course the cocoa stick.  While it took awhile to boil (you need to make sure the cocoa stick melts all the way), it was worth it. My apartment smelled like heaven.  The mixture of coconut, vanilla, and chocolate was delightful.  

Cocoa Stick

The ingredients (I didn't use any set quantities,
just kind of made it to taste)

Add the cocoa stick to the pot of condensed milk,coconut milk, vanilla essence and almond essence.
 I then boiled it for about 30 minutes until I made sure the cocoa dissolved.  You are supposed to
add cinnamon but I currently don't have in my apartment. I am definitely going to have to get s
ome and try making this again.  

Wooo me and the cocoa tea! Clearly the humidity makes my hair
go super frizzy (french braids are my best friend)

Final product! 

I am going to bring some cocoa sticks back during Christmas time and make this for everyone back in the states. Let me know if you want me to bring this back for you.

 Here is a link for a native Dominican's thoughts on cocoa tea http://www.jennifervalerie.com/2009/07/recipe-for-hot-cocoa-dominican-style.html