Montezuma’s Chocolate

Whilst in Costa Rica, we went on a tour of a coffee plantation and farm, to find out about the coffee-making process. They also told us about the sugar-making process, and the chocolate-making process. At the end of the chocolate-making, our guide made a drink which he described as Montezuma’s xocoatl recipe. I thought this would be good to make into ice-cream. Here goes:

250ml cream

400ml milk

4 egg yolks

100g sugar

250g Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate* 

2 cinnamon sticks

Pinch of chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla paste

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to melt the chocolate, until almost boiling. Allow it to cool a little, then add a small amount of the chocolate cream to the eggs and sugar, and combine. Add the rest of the chocolate cream mixture, combine thoroughly, and return it to the saucepan. Heat it again, stirring constantly to prevent it catching, until almost boiling. It should be a thick smooth custard at this point. Cool in the fridge overnight, then churn it in your ice-cream maker.

* This, I am sure, is what Montezuma would have used if he'd known about it. You may substitute a local equivalent.