Hot Yoga…and a Mexican Hot Chocolate Tart

This is what I know for sure (Ahem…cue my inner Oprah): Hot yoga is not loyal to my twist out.

Not. At. All.

Stepped into that class and that heat, honeyyyyy, it triiiiiiiiiiiied all of my black.girl.magic. Stepped out of that class and my hair was less like Cheetos and more like Cheese Puffs. And I never, ever, evah (!) liked cheese puffs when I was a kid.

I’d rather go hungry.

Besides that…I am absolutely in love with hot yoga.

In. Love.

Sure, I thought I was going to faint the first 15 minutes of the 90-minute class. Yes, 90 minutes. But after a while, I remembered what a native chief said to me in a purification ceremony, “Instead of fighting the heat, surrender to it, and breathe.”

Surrender and Breathe.

I’ve wanted to try hot yoga for the past eight years. Bought a book and everything, eight years ago. Read the book in two days…eight years ago.

Eight years.

Eight. Years.

Damn.

What took me so long? What is taking me so long to start living the “one days” out?

People, life will not wait for you. It shole won’t.

That cooking class in Italy? That yoga retreat in Costa Rica? That weekend you send the kids to stay any where else but home so you can Netflix and chill while eating deep fried snack foods only…for a complete 24 hours.

Is this last one just me? Just on my list?

That hot yoga class?

It doesn’t have to be big. Most things aren’t. But if you don’t start now, next thing you know eight years–or a life time–have passed you by.

 

Y’all should see me now. If my children even look like they need something as I am about to leave for class, I give them this look that says, “You don’t make me feel like hot yoga makes me feel.”  I don’t say it, but they have been interpreting my facial expressions expertly for years now.

Go…Live…Y’all.

Go live, and explore, and create, and speak up (!) and love and eat! Y’all know I had to get to food somehow, right? And if making a tart or pie from scratch is anywhere on your “one day” list, make this one. Trust me. This one will make you all warm inside, like hot yoga, but without the twists and turns.

Til next time, Reine.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Tart with Chocolate Shortbread Crust

Chocolate Shortbread Crust

• 1.5 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted not solid
• 1/3 cup sugar of choice
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Whisk together your flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl.
2. Pour in your melted coconut oil and vanilla extract and, with your hands, combine until the mixture forms a ball and is uniform in color.
3. You will not use all of this dough for an 8″ tart (you will probably find a 9″ tart pan before you find an 8″ tart pan. If so, use it. You may not have any dough left over. I had a scant 1/2 cup of shortbread dough left over, and I used an 8″ tart pan…so I made a few cookies out of it…cause I’m awesome.
4. Spray an 8″ tart pan with non-stick baking spray and press your shortbread crust into the pan’s bottom and on the sides.
5. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of your tart, then place it in the freezer for 45-60 minutes.
6. Remove your tart pan from the [freezer and place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before filling.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Tart Filling

• 1.5 cups dark chocolate (gooooood dark chocolate, about 9.5oz)
• 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP coconut milk, full fat…not lite
• 2 TBSP strong black coffee or a shot of espresso
• 1 TSBP dark rum
• 1 TBSP maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Combine all these ingredients (except for the rum) into a metal bowl and set over a pot with barely simmering water until melted.
2. Whisk the ingredients together and add the rum, whisking until combined.
3. Pour this filling into the cooled and baked tart shell (you will have a little filling left over).
4. Place your tart into the refrigerator and chill for atleast 2 hours.
5. Slice, serve, and top with love and magic (coconut whipt cream, a dusting of powdered sugar and cocoa powder) or nothing at all because this tart is the truth and the light all own its own!