Decadent White Chocolate Mole Sauce
Elevate your culinary experience with this exquisite Decadent White Chocolate Mole Sauce, a delightful twist on the traditional Mexican mole. This gourmet sauce offers a unique blend of roasted nuts, spices, and rich white chocolate, creating a luxurious companion for your favorite meats. Perfect for a romantic dinner or a family gathering, this sauce can be prepared in advance—simply heat and stir in the white chocolate when you're ready to serve. Treat your loved ones to a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine reimagined with a modern flair!
N/A
Servings
N/A
Calories
15
Ingredients
Ingredients
unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup (roasted)
blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup (roasted)
walnuts
1/4 cup (roasted)
water
2 cups
cinnamon stick
1 (broken into pieces)
whole cloves
2
poblano chile
1 (seeded and chopped)
serrano chilies
2 (seeded and chopped)
garlic clove
1 small
Spanish onion
1/2 (cut into chunks)
animal crackers
5 (toasted)
unsalted butter
1/4 cup (melted)
white chocolate chips
1/2 cup
salt
1/2 teaspoon
fresh ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon
Instructions
1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the peanuts, slivered almonds, and walnuts evenly on a jelly-roll pan. Toast them in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are golden and aromatic.
2
In a blender, add the toasted nuts, water, broken cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. Blend until the nuts are finely ground, then strain the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing down with a ladle or rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
3
Rinse the blender and then combine the seeded and chopped poblano and serrano chiles, garlic clove, onion chunks, and the reserved nut liquid. Add the toasted animal crackers and blend until smooth. Again, strain the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve, discarding the solids once you've extracted the liquid.
4
In a large saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the nut-chile liquid. Allow it to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to scrape the bottom of the pan, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture reaches a consistency similar to thick pea soup.
5
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the white chocolate chips, salt, and white pepper until the chocolate is completely melted and well incorporated. Your decadent mole sauce is now ready to be served over your choice of meat or vegetables.
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Decadent White Chocolate Mole Sauce?
It is a gourmet twist on traditional Mexican mole that incorporates white chocolate, roasted nuts, and mild chilies for a luxurious, creamy finish.
What types of nuts are used in this mole recipe?
The recipe calls for a blend of unsalted peanuts, blanched slivered almonds, and walnuts.
How should I toast the nuts?
Spread the peanuts, almonds, and walnuts on a jelly-roll pan and toast in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 3 to 5 minutes until aromatic.
What kind of chilies are required for this sauce?
The recipe uses one seeded and chopped poblano chile and two seeded and chopped serrano chilies.
Why are animal crackers included in the ingredients?
Toasted animal crackers act as a traditional thickening agent and add a subtle sweetness to the mole's complex flavor profile.
When is the white chocolate added to the mole?
The white chocolate chips are stirred in at the very end, after the saucepan has been removed from the heat.
Is this mole sauce spicy?
It has a mild to medium heat level from the poblano and serrano chilies, balanced by the richness of the white chocolate and nuts.
How long does the sauce need to simmer?
The sauce should simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes or until it reaches the thickness of pea soup.
Do I need to strain the mixture?
Yes, the mixture is strained twice through a medium-mesh sieve to ensure a perfectly smooth and luxurious texture.
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
The recipe specifies unsalted butter to better control the sodium levels, as 1/2 teaspoon of salt is added separately.
What type of onion works best for this recipe?
A Spanish onion, cut into chunks, is recommended for this specific mole sauce.
What spices provide the aromatic base?
A broken cinnamon stick and two whole cloves are blended with the nuts to create the aromatic spice base.
What is the serving suggestion for this sauce?
This decadent mole is ideally served over your choice of meat, such as poultry or pork, or over roasted vegetables.
Can this sauce be prepared in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the base in advance and simply reheat it, stirring in the white chocolate just before serving.
What is the role of white pepper in this recipe?
Fresh ground white pepper is used to provide a subtle heat without adding the black specks that traditional black pepper would leave in the light-colored sauce.
How many animal crackers are needed?
The recipe calls for 5 toasted animal crackers.
Do I need to peel the chilies?
No, the chilies should be seeded and chopped before blending; the straining process will remove any remaining tough skin or solids.
What should I do with the solids after straining?
The solids should be discarded after you have pressed out as much liquid as possible with a ladle or spatula.
What consistency should the final sauce have?
The sauce should be thick and smooth, similar to the consistency of a thick pea soup.
Can I use white chocolate bars instead of chips?
Yes, you can use high-quality white chocolate bars as long as they are chopped into small pieces to ensure even melting.
Is the garlic roasted or raw when blended?
The recipe uses one small raw garlic clove which is blended with the other vegetables and nut liquid.
How much water is used in the blending process?
Two cups of water are used to blend the toasted nuts and spices.
Does this recipe contain gluten?
Yes, the animal crackers typically contain wheat flour, making this recipe unsuitable for those on a gluten-free diet unless substituted.
What is the primary flavor profile of this mole?
It is a complex mix of nutty, spicy, savory, and sweet, with a creamy mouthfeel from the butter and chocolate.
Can I substitute the Spanish onion?
A yellow onion can be used as a substitute if a Spanish onion is unavailable.
Is there any salt in the sauce?
Yes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt is added along with the white chocolate at the end of the cooking process.
Should the peanuts be skinned?
The recipe suggests unsalted peanuts; using skinless peanuts will yield a lighter, smoother sauce.
How much white chocolate is required?
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips.
Is this a traditional Mexican mole?
It is a modern reimagining of a traditional mole, using white chocolate instead of the more common dark Mexican chocolate.
How many cloves are used?
The recipe uses two whole cloves.