February, 2005

It’s so hard to find really good hot chocolate these days. My ultimate hot chocolate is made with very dark chocolate–a 70% couvature would be lovely–it’s nice and warm, but not hot enough to burn my tongue and not so hot that I have to wait for fifteen minutes before it’s safe to drink. It’s smooth, frothy, flavorful and satisfying; obviously not a hot chocolate made with powder. Just the thought of those little packets with rock hard mini-mallows makes my teeth feel gritty. If you’ve got a craving for the real stuff, try this thick, rich, creamy recipe–especially nice served with a crisp little cookie:

Ingredients
Milk 1 cup
Heavy Cream 1 cup
Sugar 1/8 cup
Chocolate, finely chopped (or chips) 3 oz.
And a dash of vanilla, if you’ve got some on hand

*Note: If you don’t have cream, use some combination of half and half or Vitamin D milk–whatever you have– and it will still be ten times better than the powdered stuff. Be advised this recipe tastes best with at least some dairy with a high fat content.*

Method
1. Heat the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla, in a saucepot, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Bring just to a simmer and pour over the chocolate. Let sit one minute; whisk to combine. If you’ve got an immersion blender, blend that baby up! If not, whisk vigorously so you get some of that great froth. Yummers.