Alegrías
In the Aztec diet, amaranth was second in importance only to corn. In festivals to honor the gods, toasted amaranth grain was mixed with maize, honey, and sometimes blood and shaped into idols of gods before being paraded through the streets, “sacrificed” into pieces, and distributed among the crowd to be eaten.
The conquistadors regarded this practice as a blasphemous parody of the Christian communion and outlawed its cultivation. Today these honeyed sweets, called tzoalli in Nahuatl by the ancient Aztecs, are known as alegrías, the Spanish word for happiness.
¼ cup amaranth seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons raisins
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon lime juice
pinch salt
Pop the amaranth. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tablespoon of amaranth into the bottom of the dry pan, and cover with a lid. Turn off the heat and shake pot vigorously to keep the amaranth from sticking. After 20 seconds or so the amaranth should be popped. It’s ok if there are some un-popped grains. Pour the popped amaranth into a bowl. Repeat until all the amaranth is popped.
Mix the pumpkin seeds and raisins with the popped amaranth.
Place the honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium, mixing well, until a syrup forms. Mix in the lime juice and salt. Turn off heat.
Pour the amaranth mixture into the syrup and mix quickly so that the mixture absorbs the syrup. Pour onto a pan lined with parchment paper and press to flatten. Place another sheet of parchment over the amaranth and flatten to smooth the surface.
Let cool until firm and cut into rounds or rectangles.
Makes about 4 pieces