Recipe · Spiced
Spiced cacao with cinnamon and cardamom
A warming cup that nods to the chili-and-spice cups of Mesoamerica, with cinnamon, cardamom, a little chili and a strip of orange zest. One cup or a pot for friends.
This cup nods to the chili-and-spice cups of Mesoamerica. It isn’t a historical recipe, just our warm, friendly version of that idea, with cinnamon, cardamom, a pinch of chili and a strip of orange. It’s what we make when friends come over.
Recipe card
Ingredients (2 cups)
- 40 g ALPAKA ceremonial cacao, finely chopped
- 360 ml (12 fl oz) water, or half water and half oat milk
- 1 cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp ground cinnamon)
- 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 small pinch of chili flakes or cayenne
- 1 strip of orange zest (no white pith)
- 1 small pinch of sea salt
- 1–2 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
Method
- Infuse. Put the water, cinnamon, cardamom, chili and orange zest in a small pot and bring just to a simmer.
- Steep. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Strain and rewarm. Strain out the spices and warm the liquid again until it is hot but not boiling, about 160–175 °F / 70–80 °C.
- Blend. Off the heat, add the cacao and salt and blend until smooth and frothy. A blender works best; a handheld milk frother works too.
- Serve. Sweeten to taste and pour into two warm cups.
ALPAKA ceremonial cacao · Made at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
For a group of 10
Use 200 g cacao (20 g a cup; about 400 g for ceremonial servings of 40 g), 1.8 L water, 3 cinnamon sticks, 8 cardamom pods, ½ tsp chili flakes, the zest of 1 orange in strips and a good pinch of salt. Keep the pot on the lowest heat and stir or blend again before each pour. More on group prep: cacao for circles.
Swaps
- No chili: leave it out; add a slice of fresh ginger instead.
- Vanilla: add a split vanilla pod to the infusion.
- Nutmeg or clove: a tiny pinch, they’re strong.
Notes
- Cacao contains a little caffeine. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or on medication, check with your doctor.
