Just in time for Valentine’s Day: French Hot Chocolate!
This is soooo good, made with real cream and real chocolate–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 the person 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. Ahhhh. 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. This is 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
To make the chocolate cream:
1 cup chopped chocolate (your choice–milk, semisweet, bittersweet, or combination. You can also use chocolate chips!)
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
2 cups cold whipping cream
To serve:
2 quarts (8 cups) hot milk (go ahead and use non-fat or low-fat, it will make you feel better!)
To make chocolate cream: Heat chopped chocolate, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan, stirring until chocolate has melted. Set mixture aside to cool. Beat the cream in a large mixing bowl until peaks form. Slowly add the chocolate sauce to the whipped cream in a steady stream while beating. After all the sauce has been added to the cream, beat for a few more seconds until the cream is thick. Place in chocolate cream 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 warp.
To serve: 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 MW). Pour hot milk into serving pitcher (I use a teapot). Pass the chocolate cream, and spoon a bit of the into the bottom of cup or mug. Add enough hot milk to fill cup. Stir to combine.
One batch makes enough to serve 10-12 people (depending on 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!
