Ancho Mole Recipes

AUTHENTIC MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth.
• Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a blender.
• Toast dinner roll pieces and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles
• Allow the chiles and toasted bread and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth.
• Cook tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.
• Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
• Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chocolate chicken broth, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.

EASY MOLE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, roast the tomatoes.
• Add the dried ancho chile.
• Toast for 1 minute on each side.
• Remove immediately.
• If the chile burns, the sauce will be bitter.
• Continue roasting the tomatoes while you boil 4 cups of water.
• Remove the stems and open up the anchos to remove the seeds.
• Discard the stems and the seeds.
• Place the anchos inside the boiling water.
• Turn the heat off and let them sit in the hot water for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
• Roast the tomatoes on all sides.
• Add the onion, garlic, and bread to the skillet.
• Char all the sides of the onions as well.
• Remove the garlic and bread once toasted.
• Remove the onions and tomatoes once they are ready.
• Discard the water from the dried chiles.
• Place the rehydrated dried chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and bread into a blender.
• Add 1 cup of water.
• Blend until smooth.
• Heat the olive oil in a stock pot.
• Place a strainer over the top of the stock pot.
• Carefully and slowly strain the mole sauce into the stock pot.
• Remove strainer.
• Add the chicken broth and Mexican chocolate tablet.
• Stir until the chocolate has melted.
• Taste it. If you want it sweeter, add 1 tbsp sugar.
• Add the sauce, 2 cups chicken broth, and cooked chicken to a stock pot.
• Once the chicken is fully heated, it's ready!
• Serve with rice and tortillas. Enjoy!

CHICKEN IN PUMPKIN-ANCHO MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine 6 cups water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large bowl, add the chicken, and refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring the remaining 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. In a medium heatproof bowl, add the ancho chiles and cover with the boiling water. Weigh down with a plate so the peppers remain under water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the stems when the peppers have softened.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a sheet tray toss the jalapenos, onion, tomatoes, garlic and cumin with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until nicely caramelized with good color, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the pumpkin seeds to a dry, hot skillet on high heat. Stir often, until the seeds are golden and begin to pop. Transfer to a food processor along with roasted vegetables. Add the soaked chiles, about 2 tablespoons of chili soaking liquid, the cilantro leaves and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the processor. Puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, blot dry with paper towels and put into a large Dutch oven. Pour in the mole sauce and bake, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. When cool to the touch, shred the chicken and add it back to the sauce. Spoon the mole into corn tortillas and serve with lime wedges, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, red onion, and radishes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and enjoy.

ANCHO AND CHIPOTLE MOLE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cover the anchos and chipotles with the boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes, until softened. Drain, reserving the liquid. Discard the stems, cores and seeds; coarsely chop the chiles.
• Preheat the broiler or light a gas flame. Char the peppers for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic and let steam for 5 minutes. Peel the peppers and discard the skin, stems and seeds, then coarsely chop.
• In a small dry skillet, toast the cloves, cumin and cinnamon stick over moderately low heat until darkened and fragrant, 1 1/2 minutes. Let cool. Grind to a powder in a spice grinder. Transfer to a plate. Add the sunflower seeds to the skillet and toast, shaking the pan a few times, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the seeds to the grinder; finely grind.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
• In a blender, combine the chiles and their soaking liquid with the bell peppers, the ground spices, the ground sunflower seeds and the garlic mixture and blend until smooth. Scrape the mole into a large bowl and season with salt. Transfer the sauce to jars and refrigerate.

ANCHO MOLE

Steps:

• Place chiles in large bowl; pour 4 cups warm water over. Let stand until chiles are soft, about 2 hours, turning occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid. Coarsely chop chiles.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add almonds, peanuts, raisins, and sesame seeds; sauté until toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor; add chiles with 1 cup reserved chile soaking liquid and plum tomatoes. Puree until mixture is almost smooth. Return mixture to skillet; add 2 3/4 cups water and bring to boil, whisking to blend. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chocolate and whisk until melted. Simmer until sauce thickens and darkens, adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper and generous amount of salt. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover; chill. Rewarm over low heat, whisking often.)

ANCHO MOLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast nuts and ¼ cup sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet on upper rack, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
• Stir together ancho powder and agave syrup in a small bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed, until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape in ancho mixture and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Add dried fruit, chocolate, and toasted nuts and sesame seeds; mix with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
• Divide dough in half. Working one at a time, roll each piece into a 10"-long log. Wrap each log tightly in plastic and roll across work surface to make as smooth and cylindrical as possible. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until surface is firm, about 20 minutes.
• Slap a log down onto counter to create a flat side; roll over and slap again to flatten another side (you're aiming for a triangular shape). Repeat to create third side of the triangle. Tap against counter to smooth if needed, then tap ends to flatten. Repeat with second log. Return logs to baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Working one at a time, unwrap logs and brush sides with egg white. Working on baking sheet, sprinkle sides with remaining 1 cup sesame seeds and gently press to coat. Surface should be covered; use more sesame if needed. Freeze logs on baking sheet, uncovered, until surface is very firm but not frozen solid, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice a log crosswise into ¼"-thick triangles and divide cookies between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart. (If dough is soft or starts to lose its shape, freeze 10 minutes before continuing.) Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through, until edges are just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to a platter or airtight container and line baking sheets with fresh sheets of parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining dough.
• Do Ahead: Dough can be rolled into logs 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Transfer to freezer 30 minutes before slicing. Cookies can be baked 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.