This time of year I take advantage of the access to fresh cranberries by subbing them for the dried or jellied versions when possible. This recipe for fresh cranberry chocolate scones is an adaptation of my standard scone recipe that I usually use with dried fruit – currants, golden raisins, cherries, or dried cranberries.

Scones originate with the culinary fare of Scotland, Ireland and England and are linked to the Welsh tradition of cooking small yeast cakes on bake stones and griddles.

Although scones are not a part of the usual Thanksgiving fare, they certainly are lovely with a cup of tea or coffee any time of day.

Did I mention that traditionally scones are not laden with lots of sugar? For American taste buds, think more about the sweetness of a biscuit rather than those sweet, frosting covered scones found at the market and coffee shops.

Originally, scones were made with oats, shaped into a large round that was cut into wedges. More often these days, classic scones are made with flour and use currants or raisins and are eaten plain or smeared with clotted cream or preserves.

This version capitalizes on fresh, tart cranberries and also calls for chocolate – a combo I adore. I eat them plain – no extra cream, preserves or butter.

One other fact I must mention, scones are best when freshly baked. The recipe below makes a dozen or 14 wedges. If you want to freeze some to bake later, see the instructions about flash-freezing below.

Tidbits on Cranberries:

1. Cranberries are closely related to blueberries, lingonberries and cowberries.
2. Cranberries are tested for firmness by their bounce, which explains why they are also referred to as “bounceberries.” Those that do not bounce are discarded.
3. Cranberries stay fresh longer than other berries because they have a waxy skin.

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Did you know there are chocolate holidays? May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Day, December 16 – National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (I like this one) and February is Chocolate Month. I am a bit of a chocoholic, so one or two recipes with this featured ingredient won’t cut it. Over the next few weeks, you’ll get several sweet and savory chocolate dishes – just in time for the ultimate of chocolate holidays – Valentine’s Day.

First up is Mexican hot chocolate. It journeys back thousands of years to the Mayas, Aztecs and other Central American Indians. In pre-conquest MesoAmerica, cacao trees were cultivated for many purposes, such as currency, ceremonial, and culinary use. Nobles and warriors drank cacahuatl, a bitter, frothy beverage made from ground cacao seeds, water, vanilla and chile.

Then, upon the arrival of the Spanish, cacao beans were used to make chocalatl, the precursor to today’s sweet hot chocolate. Cacao beans were ground with sugar and other spices such as cinnamon, cloves, anise, and almonds to create a paste that was hardened into tablets. The tablets were then mixed with hot water and corn broth, and made frothy. This sweet version, when taken back to Spain, grew in popularity and eventually spread throughout Europe.

Today, Mexican children often drink hot chocolate with breakfast and they’ve even got a little ditty called Chocolate that they sing as their chocolate is being prepared and frothed.

A brew of Mexican hot chocolate is very simple to make using the Mexican chocolate available in many American grocery stores. The chocolate comes in hard disks and is made of cacao nibs, sugar and cinnamon. It is course and gritty before it is melted, rather than smooth like American bars, baking chocolates or chocolate chips. It can be found in the ethnic food section. I prefer the Ibarra brand, but Abuelita is a good substitute.

I grew up drinking Mexican hot chocolate and, for me, nothing can compare to a taza (cup) of the slightly bitter, cinnamon, chocolate treat.

Bate, bate chocolate!

Tidbits on Chocolate:

1. The Mayas and Aztecs made their cacao drinks frothy by repeatedly pouring the liquid from high, back and forth between vessels. Then, the Spanish modeled a molinillo after indigenous whisks to make their chocalatl frothy. Molinillos are available in most Mexican markets and online (see images below).
2. Some lore indicates that cacao has aphrodisiac effects and that Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin (“Montezuma”) drank fifty mugs of chocolate a day, especially before entering his harem.

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