From Our Kitchen: The Breakfast Flavors of Spain

In Spain, breakfast is a very light meal, as the three-course lunch served between 2 and 4 p.m. is the largest meal of the day, and dinner is often eaten as late as 11 p.m., or even midnight! Typical Spanish breakfast foods include strong coffee and a toasted baguette topped with crushed tomato and garlic, hot chocolate and churros, or fresh-squeezed orange juice and magdalenas.

Magdalenas are light, lemony cakes—almost a cross between a cupcake and a muffin. Pair these sweet breakfast treats with Spanish hot chocolate, a rich melted chocolate perfect for dipping, for an extra-indulgent start to your day.

Spanish Hot Chocolate Yields 2 Cups, Serves: 4

Ingredients: 4 ounces dark chocolate 2 cups whole milk 1 tablespoon cornstarch ¼ cup granulated sugar

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate, 1 cup of whole milk, and sugar. Stir occasionally until chocolate is melted.
2. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining milk.
3. Add milk to chocolate mixture, and cook on low heat, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes or until thickened.
4. Serve warm.

Magdelanas Yields 18

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 4 eggs ¼ pound unsalted butter Zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon milk 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 375º F
2. Measure ¼ cup sugar into small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with ¾ cup sugar until the mixture is light in color.
4. In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Allow butter to cool.
5. Continue to beat the egg mixture, slowly pouring in the cooled butter. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and milk.
6. Measure the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder into a separate bowl and combine thoroughly.
7. While stirring the egg mixture, add in the flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well. The batter will be very thick.
8. Place paper liners in a cupcake pan. Use a large serving spoon to spoon batter into the pan, filling each cup halfway. Batter will more than double in size when baked. Use a teaspoon to sprinkle each with a bit of the reserved sugar.
9. Place pans on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to cool further.