recipe | Drinking Chocolate

I am most definitely a fan of thick, creamy hot chocolates. Don't get me wrong; I have been known to enjoy
the powder-into-hot-milk variety, but never as much as what's pictured in the above cup. I think my infatuation with thick hot choclate started when I saw the film Chocolat in the year 2000. I was nine and my love-affair with chooclate was already in full bloom. I remember these lines all too well:

Armande Voizin: Your cinnamon looks rancid.   

Vianne Rocher: Well, it's not cinnamon, it's a special kind of chili pepper.  

Armande Voizin: Chili pepper in hot chocolate? Psh.   

Vianne Rocher: Mm-hm. It'll give you a lift. 

Let's get real though, how could anybody resist?
After watching this film it's been a little secret goal of mine to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate, tailored to my tastes and no ones else's. So far, this recipe is what I have found I enjoy the most. When I've had a particularly rough day and find myself craving something decadent, I throw this together in under five minutes. It's quite flexible in the sense that you can add a dash of this or take away a bit of that in order to please any palette. After all, Chocolate is something that you should be able to have any way you want to, whether it be milk, dark, white, with almonds, hell, I'd eat chocolate sauce on pasta if I could. But, before I start drooling, let's get on to it...

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of pure cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of flour*
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch*
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract*

These ingredients are optional and depend on the flavour you are aiming for. (I tend to mix them when I'm having a really bad craving for some naughty foods)

• 2 tablespoons of nutella (for a nice nutty flavour)
• 1 tablespoon of crushed chili pepper (great to help yourself really warm up from a cold day outside)
• 1 tablespoon fleur de sel (for the sweet and salty lovers)
• 3 drops of peppermint oil (mint & chocolate, always an appreciated mix)
• 1 orange worth of zest (evokes memories of nibbling on these at christmas)

Method:

1. Heat up milk on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
2. Add in cocoa powder, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
3. Sift flour and corn starch into pot. 
4. Add optional ingredient.
5. Serve in a cup with/without a dollop of whipped cream and/or mini marshmallows

* these measurements should be used as guidelines, as you stir, you will begin to see how much of what you will end up needing.

The beauty about chocolate is you can add literally whatever you want and it will probably end up tasting fabulous. So go ahead; experiment and indulge.

You're welcome.