I am kind of busy and also a bit lazy, and also sick.

So does anyone want to try this recipe for me? I was looking up European hot chocolate recipes and trying to come up with a way to convert them to a "dry goods" version that could be given as a homemade hot chocolate mix for Christmas. This is my first attempt, and I haven't tried it yet:

Experimental European Hot Chocolate Recipe

(converted to dry goods)

Chile powder (from one pepper, seeds removed, reduced)

Dry milk (dry whole milk?) (plus the amt of water needed for said milk)

Vanilla, somehow.  (from one bean) Extract mixed in, maybe?

Ground cinnamon (or 1-2 cinn sticks)

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

2 tbs granulated sugar

1 tbs almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine

Directions: add the necessary amount of water (for the dry milk) and melt together, whisking occasionally, until choc. melts and sugar dissolves. If using whole cinn or vanilla, remove at this point. If too thick, thin with more milk.

Upon further reflection, perhaps the dry milk could be omitted. That would simplify things a lot. It could just be presented with instructions like "add milk, insert into microwave." That's my dream, anyway. Possibly though this really does just unavoidably require a stove top. We (you?) shall see.

For reference here is the original recipe. It's the "Mayan Hot Chocolate" one listed first on the left-hand column, and compared to that which is served in the movie Chocolat. I have to admit that that movie was what turned me on to the whole idea. Before seeing it I had no idea that such a thing even existed. Wtf, America?