Xocolatl (Aztec Chocolate Beverage)
Xocolatl is a modern take on the bitter, spicy chocolate drink of the Aztecs, served cold and frothy. It uses chocolate of 85% cocoa or more, so the flavor stays dark and unsweetened unless you add honey or sugar. Toasted cornmeal, soaked and strained into a gel, thickens the drink and holds it together, while a reduced habanero liquid lets you set the heat exactly where you want it.
Instructions
Toast the cornmeal in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it turns dark tan or light brown. Add 2 cups of water, stir, take the pan off the heat, and let the cornmeal soak overnight.
Blend the soaked cornmeal until it forms a smooth paste, then strain it to remove the coarse mush. You want a smooth, thick gel that will thicken and emulsify the drink, so discard the mush and keep the gel. The contributor suggests a cornstarch-based substitute may also work.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Cut the chile peppers open, remove the seeds, and boil the peppers until the liquid has reduced to 1 cup. It should be pale yellow and taste very spicy. Discard the peppers and set the liquid aside.
Put the chocolate and 1 cup of water in a saucepan and stir often over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Slowly add the cornmeal gel, pouring it off carefully so any settled lumps or grit stay behind.
Stir in the vanilla, your chosen spices, and honey or sugar if you want it sweetened. Add the chile liquid a little at a time until the drink is as spicy as you like.
Pour the mixture into a blender, add plenty of ice cubes, and blend until smooth and frothy.
Make it personal.
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