Mexican Molinillo
The molinillo [moh-lee-NEE-yoh] is the Mexican chocolate "whisk" or "stirrer".  It is made of "turned" wood and it is used to froth warm drinks such as hot chocolate, Atole, and Champurrado.

mexican molinillo (3 styles, available at Gourmetsleuth.com)

European Adaptation
The Spanish explorers were so enamored with the flavor of chocolate that they took it back to Spain where it became the the Kings' Official Drink in the New Spain and Europe.  Around the end of the XVIII century(1780 - 1800) , Europeans started preparing chocolate with milk and sugar to create what we know today as Hot Chocolate.  In fact the drink became so popular many of the leading European porcelain manufactures such as Limoges in France began making specialized pots and cups just to serve chocolate.



photo: french Louis XVIII chocolate pot

The photograph above is a nice example of a chocolate pot design that dates back to Louis XVIII still made today in France by the Pillivuyt Company. The chocolate ingredients are placed in the pot.  The "molinillo" (called moulinet in France or a moussoir which means froth-maker) is placed in the pot and then the cover is placed over the handle of the molinillo.   With the cover in place, the user holds the molinillo between his two hands and with a rubbing motion froths the liquid.  The pot is held from the top and side handle to pour the chocolate into cups.


Mexican Chocolate

mexican chocolate, formed into a disk

Molinillo Chocolate Song
From the Texas State Libary and archives commission. "Children in Mexico often drink chocolate with breakfast. They stir it with a special utensil called a molinillo which is held between the palms and rotated back and forth. During the chorus of this rhyme, children rub their palms together and pretend to "stir" the chocolate with a molinillo." Click to hear a real player audio of this song.