Welcome to Blogmas Day Four! I woke up to another huge snowfall. Crisp wintery days call for one thing and one thing only and that is a mug of delicious hot chocolate. Do you have a favourite mug, plates or bowls that you only pull out at this time of year? I know I do.
I love this Starbucks mug because it isn't just the usual red and white. I only pull it out of the cupboard on December 1st which makes it even more special. Of course, the world's most delicious chocolat chaud has to be lovingly poured into this mug.
Decades ago, I came across a recipe for hot chocolate by Jeffrey Steingarten, food writer for Vogue magazine. It was in the February, 2000 edition. Two decades on and that recipe still sticks in my mind. Up until that point, I just assumed that hot chocolate came out of a tin and my curiosity was peaked. Bear in mind that I had just finished my education and was finding my way through life. I grew up in household where my mother never let anyone near the kitchen. Back then, TV dinners was considered the height of fashionable eating. The hot chocolate made from this recipe was a revelation. This is proper chocolat chaud, made the way it should be. There's no faffing about with marshmallows or peppermint candy canes. The denseness and complexity of the flavour profile really began my journey on homecooking and cooking from scratch in general. I've reproduced the recipe here with a few tweaks of my own and bringing it into 2020.
Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud) Recipe
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup still water (preferably filtered)
1/4 cup (generous) granulated sugar
1 100 gram bar or 3 1/2 ounces good quality dark bittersweet chocolate, preferably 60% cacao and above, chopped with a serrated bread knife
1/4 cup cocoa powder
**The original recipe called for bottled water. We know so much more about the deleterious impact of plastic water bottles on the environment 20 years later so I substituted filtered still water. I have used Scharffen Berger and Valrhona chocolate with great success.
In a saucepan or pot, stir together the milk, water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and the cocoa and bring to a boil again, whisking until the chocolate and cocoa are dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Reduce the heat to very low.
I used my trusty Le Creuset enameled cast iron sauce pot because the cast iron is marvelous at retaining heat and then distributing it evenly. Part of the pleasure of eating is feasting with your eyes. You can see already the glossiness of the hot chocolate and the rich deep colour which puts the pallid tone of tinned hot chocolate to shame.
Blend for five minutes with an immersion mixer until thick and foamy. I have used a miniature frother as well with adequate results. Yield: four six ounce cups of hot chocolate. Optional: sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon and/or nutmeg on top.
And there you have it! I have paired the chocolat chaud with my sea salt caramel chip cookies, the recipe for which you can find here. You may well ask why all the bother? Well, as with any tradition, the magic starts with the process of making the hot chocolate. Immersing yourself in the moment and putting aside worldly cares is something that quickly dumping a couple tablespoons of powder in some boiled water just can't achieve.
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