Mexican Hot Chocolate

Method

1. Set a comal or heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat and spread 60 g of raw cacao beans across it in a single layer. Toast for 12-15 minutes, shaking and turning them constantly with a wooden spoon, until the shells darken, crackle and split and the kitchen smells deeply nutty. Do not let them scorch — bitter beans make bitter chocolate. Tip onto a plate and cool for 5 minutes, until just warm to the touch.
2. Roll the warm beans firmly between your palms, or fold them in a tea towel and press with your hands, to crack the brittle husks. Break the beans into pieces and winnow off the papery shells, tossing them lightly in a bowl in front of a fan or blowing gently, until only the dark nibs remain.
3. Grind the warm nibs on a heated metate, or in short bursts in a spice grinder, until the cocoa butter releases and they slump into a coarse, oily paste — about 8-10 minutes. Work in 50 g of grated piloncillo, 1 cinnamon stick snapped into small pieces, and 1 pinch of sea salt, and keep grinding until the paste is smooth, glossy and no longer gritty between your fingers. Use it warm, or press it into a disc on greaseproof paper and let it set firm.