Just in time for Valentine’s Day—French Hot Chocolate!

This is soooo good, made with real cream and real chocolate, and bearing no resemblance at all to that powdery mix in a paper packet. The serving ritual makes this really special. Pass a bowl of the chocolate cream mixture, then pass a pot of steaming hot milk—I like to put the milk in a teapot.  Let each person scoop a desired amount of the chocolate cream into their cup. Pass the hot milk so they can fill the cup up the rest of the way. Make sure everyone has a spoon—stirring the hot chocolate is the fun part!  So is the sipping to taste. Then maybe adding a bit more chocolate cream 🙂 Then stirring some more and sipping some more—aahhhh. So civilized. So social. So calming. So special.

I was going with ¼ chocolate cream to ¾ hot milk, when one of my taste testers announced that half chocolate cream and half milk was just about right!  Serve this in small cups—it is very rich. To cut the fat, I put non-fat milk in the teapot 🙂

I found this recipe at MakeAndTakes.

The chocolate cream mixture can be kept for a few days in the refrigerator, but you need to put the cream in a sieve, and then cover with plastic. This is, truly, the best hot chocolate you’ll ever make.

French Hot Chocolate

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped chocolate—your choice: milk, semisweet, bittersweet, or combination. You can also use chocolate chips!
• 1 cup corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups cold whipping cream
• 2 quarts (8 cups) hot milk—go ahead and use non-fat or low-fat, it will make you feel better!

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat chopped chocolate, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan, stirring until chocolate has melted—set mixture aside to cool.
2. Beat the cream in a large mixing bowl until peaks form.  
3. Slowly add cooled chocolate sauce to the whipped cream in a steady stream while beating.  
4. After all the sauce has been added to the cream, beat for a few more seconds until the cream is thick.  
5. Place chocolate cream in refrigerator until ready to use—to keep chocolate cream for longer than an hour or two, place the chocolate cream in a sieve over a slightly larger bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

To serve:

1. Bring the chocolate cream to room temperature.
2. Heat the desired quantity of milk—2 qts if using the whole batch of chocolate cream, and serving 10-12 people—until steaming. I heat the milk in the microwave. 
3. Pour hot milk into serving pitcher—I use a teapot. 
4. Pass the chocolate cream, and spoon a bit of cream into the bottom of cup or mug, filling it about 1/3 full.
5. Pass the very hot milk, and add enough to fill cup—stir to combine.

Some people might want to add more chocolate cream, others might want to add more milk—that’s part of the fun! This hot chocolate is very, very rich. Serve in small cups—no need for a dessert. French Hot Chocolate is enough!

One batch makes enough to serve 10-12 people, depending on your size of cups or mugs.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today! Take the time to make an occasion of serving this hot chocolate—you’ll be glad you did!