♥ and for the record, i saw chocolat. just delightful.

last week i had my bestfriends over the apartment to visit.

i made salad and bought pizzas and we watched chocolat (2000).

needless to say, it was a perfect evening. 

only nick kept talking about recreating the delicious-looking hot chocolate

 recipe prepared by juliette binoche's character, vianne, in the film.  

you see, vianne is a chocolate store owner whose candy-coated charm

 & worldly widsom brings about delightful changes in a quiet little town-

 and every last chocolate morsel in her shop looks totally to die for. 

your sweet tooth will be aching by the film's end.

so, without further adieu, please enjoy this 

mayan hot cocoa recipe, discovered & reproduced by

my husband this weekend to delight the senses

& awaken the passions.

ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp unbleached flour

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

3 crushed cloves (crushed with the flat of your knife)

1/4 tsp chili peppers (crushed just as the cloves)

1 cinnamon stick (loosely crumbled)

directions:

sift the cocoa powder and flour.

add a bit of milk & stir the cocoa/ flour mix until it becomes a paste.

slowly add milk and continue to stir. it should turn into a paste.

when all of the cocoa and flour are a paste, add the remaining spices.

add the cocoa/flour/spices to the hot milk in the double boiler.

(you can make a double boiler by sticking one pan on top of another water-filled pan)

stir constantly to keep from burning.

if you want it thicker- add corn starch.

when the cocoa is ready, (about 15 minutes), use slotted spoon

to scoop the cloves and cinnamon off the top & add:

2 tsp powdered sugar

1.5 tsp vanilla

serve in heavy mugs with whipped cream or marshmallow.

sip. relax. 

enjoy. 

repeat.