My second dish for Battle Chocolate is a pyramid of tortilla chips coated in chili and chocolate ganache. Inside the pyramid is a little bowl of crème fraîche sweetened with honey and it’s served with a spicy white russian cocktail. The center design was created with a hand-cut stencil and cocoa powder.

Secret Treasure of the Aztec Temple and an Angry Conquistador

Chili Chocolate Tortilla Temples

• 4 medium flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 12 oz extra dark chocolate, finely chopped
• Chili powder
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon warm honey

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut tortilla chips into equal sixths and cut rounded edges flat.  Brush both sides with butter and arrange triangles in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes, rotating the tray half way.
3. Simmer cream in a saucepan with vanilla and cinnamon. Remove from heat and let sit ten minutes.  Remove bean and stick , return to a simmer, remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until fully combined.
4. Dip chips 2/3 of the way to the tip in ganache and wipe gently against edge of pan if coating is too thick.
5. On wax paper, arrange 3 chips, clean point up to form a pyramid, making sure that all three chips touch each other in the chocolate-coated regions. Sprinkle with chili powder while still wet and allow to cool.
6. Combine crème fraîche and honey and divide into 8 small cups.
7. Once cooled, arrange pyramids over the cups of and serve with an Angry Conquistador (recipe below). To eat, guests should break apart their pyramids and dip individual chips in the sweetened crème fraîche.

An Angry Conquistador

• 1 part firewater
• 2 parts Kahlua
• 3 parts half-and-half
• 4 parts vodka

Mix all ingredients and serve on the rocks in an old fashioned glass.