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Aztec-Style Hot Chocolate

Donnie
Inspired by xocolatl as described in the Florentine Codex: cacao, chile, vanilla, and honey
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

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IngredientsMethodNotes
Donnie Dodson

Don’t lose this one.

I’ll email it to you so it’s waiting when you’re ready to cook.

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup cacao nibs
  • 2 dried chile peppers such as ancho or guajillo, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 cups water plus hot water for rehydrating
  • 1 to 2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp honey to taste
  • Tiny pinch of salt optional

Instructions
 

  1. Toast the nibs. Toast the cacao nibs in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until they smell like chocolate. Let them cool slightly.
  2. Grind. Grind the nibs in a mortar and pestle in small batches until they form a coarse, oily paste. This takes patience, and the paste will stay slightly gritty.
  3. Rehydrate the chiles. Cover the chiles with hot water and soak for 15 minutes until soft.
  4. Boil the peppers. Drain the chiles, then simmer them in the 2 cups of water for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chiles, or blend a small piece back in for more heat.
  5. Add the cacao. Whisk the cacao paste into the chile water and simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes, whisking often.
  6. Finish. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and honey, and taste. Add a pinch of salt if you like.
  7. Froth and serve. Pour the drink back and forth between two cups from a height to build foam, then serve.

Notes

  • The grind: A spice grinder or hand blender is faster, but the paste will be smoother. Stone-ground is closer to the original.
 
  • Strain it if you like: The texture is gritty, so straining through a fine sieve gives a smoother cup.
 
  • To make it more Aztec: Skip the heat and serve it at room temperature or cold, with plenty of froth.