Champurrado (Mexican Chocolate Atole)

Before you start

Champurrado belongs to the atole family, warm drinks thickened with corn masa. Adding Mexican chocolate and piloncillo, the unrefined cone sugar, turns the plain version into something closer to drinkable chocolate pudding. It is a standard companion to tamales in the cold months, especially around Día de Muertos and the Christmas season.

The masa does the work. Masa harina, the dried and ground nixtamalized corn sold for tortillas, gives the drink its corn flavor and body, but it must be dissolved in cold liquid before it meets heat or it forms lumps instantly. After that, champurrado needs steady whisking and real simmering time: the starch has to cook through, or the drink tastes raw and gritty. It is done when it coats a spoon like heavy cream.

Ingredients

• 40 g (⅓ cup) masa harina — the fine kind sold for tortillas, not cornmeal
• 240 ml (1 cup) cold water
• 720 ml (3 cups) whole milk — or more water for a traditional, lighter version
• 90 g (about 1 tablet) Mexican chocolate — coarsely chopped
• 60 g (about ⅓ cup packed) piloncillo, grated or chopped — or dark brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick — Mexican canela if you can find it
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract — optional

Method

1. In a jug, whisk the masa harina into the cold water until completely smooth, with no dry specks. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the masa hydrates.
2. Put the milk, cinnamon stick and piloncillo in the saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the milk is steaming, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chocolate and whisk until it melts and the milk turns an even brown. Mexican chocolate is grainy by design, so a little texture is normal.
4. Whisk the masa mixture again, then pour it into the pan in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Pouring through a fine strainer catches any lumps.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, whisking often and scraping the bottom and corners, where it catches and scorches first. It will thicken noticeably and the raw corn taste will disappear.
6. Check the texture: it should coat the back of a spoon and run off slowly. Add a splash of milk if it is too thick, or simmer a few minutes longer if too thin. Stir in the salt and vanilla.
7. Remove the cinnamon stick. Froth the champurrado with a molinillo, rolled between your palms, or with a whisk for a foamy top, and serve hot.

Tips for success

• Mexican chocolate already contains sugar and cinnamon. Taste before adding all the piloncillo, especially with a sweet brand.
• Champurrado thickens as it cools and in the pot. Make it slightly thinner than you want to drink it.
• A heavy pan matters. Thin pans scorch the masa on the bottom, and the burnt taste spreads through the whole pot.

Substitutions

Masa harina

Fresh masa for tortillas works and tastes even more of corn; use about 80 g whisked into the water. Cornstarch thickens but loses the corn flavor, which makes it a chocolate drink rather than champurrado.

Mexican chocolate

Use 60 g bittersweet chocolate plus ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp extra sugar. The texture will be smoother, since Mexican tablets are stone-ground and slightly gritty.

Whole milk

Many families make it with water only, which lets the corn and chocolate taste stronger. Oat milk keeps it creamy for a dairy-free version.

Variations

Atole de vainilla

Leave out the chocolate, use 2 tbsp sugar and a split vanilla bean for a plain, pale atole.

Spiced champurrado

Add a strip of orange peel and 1 star anise with the cinnamon, then remove them before serving.

Troubleshooting

It is full of lumps

The masa was added to hot liquid without being dissolved first, or not whisked enough. Pour the drink through a fine strainer, or blend it briefly, then return it to the pan.

It tastes raw or gritty

The masa did not cook long enough. Simmer for a few more minutes while whisking until the corn tastes toasty rather than floury.

It turned into paste

Too much masa or too long on the heat. Whisk in hot milk or water 60 ml at a time until it pours again.

Storage

Cool leftovers quickly, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It sets to a soft pudding in the fridge; reheat over low heat with a splash of milk, whisking until smooth. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.