06 October 2010

Hot Chocolate.

This is more like liquid chocolate that tastes like velvet on your tongue.  In a mug.  It is really chocolat chaud, the French way to make hot chocolate that I learned from my Belgian host mom.  Those Belgians are awesome at beer and chocolate.  Both are extraordinary. 

I think once you take a sip of chocolat chaud, you will be crazy to return to anything from a mix.  It has been freaking cold here in Ohio, so it’s the perfect time to give this a try.

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You will need:

2 cups of whole milk, half & half, or cream {I used 1/2 cream, 1/2 half & half}

3 – 4 ounces of chocolate with  70% or more Cocoa, chopped {I used Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate}

1 TB dark brown sugar {light brown is ok if you have it on hand}

I also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste to the cream to give it a little extra something, but it is not necessary and not part of traditional chocolat chaud.

Heat the cream and dark brown sugar {and vanilla if you want} until just steaming.  Remove the cream from heat and add the chopped chocolate whisking furiously until it is completely incorporated.

It yields about three small mugs of hot chocolate.  I’ve also been known to do a half a mug of this and fill the rest with hot coffee for a yummy mocha.

Enjoy!

8 comments:

  1. that first line is fantastic. we just had hot chocolate last night-tho nothing like this!-but it made us miss the belgian hot chodolate we had last year in belgium. so i know what you are talking about! i could only describe it as real hot chocolate, like what hot choc. dreams of being...lol.

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  2. I am going to have to try this sometime. It sounds sinfully delicious.

    Hey - I finally have a 101 Things list up. You've inspired one more!!

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  3. Okay - we are both WAAAY into our fall/winter thinking!

    I will try this too! I always make it from scratch when I make cocoa at home...powder mix sux!

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  4. Oh it sounds sooooo good! Plus another question, where do you get vanilla bean paste???

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  5. oooohhhhh YUM! I love how the sweets here in Europe are not too sweet.

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  6. @ Stacy:
    You can buy it at Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, or some of our groceries carry it too.
    Amazon carries it too:
    http://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Massey-Pure-Vanilla-Bean-Paste/dp/B0027DEVCG

    A good substitute would just be to cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and stick it in the cream while heating, then scrape the beans out and put those in the cream before putting the chocolate in.

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  7. Wow - a little bit of heaven in a cup! Can't wait to give it a try.

    Ally

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