Hot chocolate talk

My “friend” Otto has threatened to drop his bookmark for me if I don’t post EACH and EVERY day. (To which I have to say: Stones, glass houses: look into it, Otto.) I’ve been trying to work up the energy to work on a political posting, but when you’ve got this dangerously out-of-touch President and a nominee for Attorney General who condones not only torture but the inherent authority of the President to set aside laws and a populace who doesn’t care and perhaps even cheers on torture and a military that’s been destroyed for a decade (maybe more) and an out-of-control budget and an out-and-out LIE designed to destroy one of the government programs that actually WORKS…

…talking about cooking seems so much nicer.

Anyhow. The first time I ever had knock-my-socks off hot chocolate was at the same place everyone has it: Cafe Angelina, in the Rue de Rivoli, Paris. I couldn’t finish the bowl of chocolate, that’s how rich and delicious it was.

When Darin, baby Sophia, and I were in Denmark, I had a remarkable experience at La Glace Conditori on Skoubogade—extremely delicious, thick, and chocolatey chocolate (with an accompanying pile of thick whipped cream). With free refills! What’s up with that? And why the hell didn’t I write down how much I paid for it?

Once, at Tamar and Dan’s, I brought a bag of Spanish chocolate drink mix that was so amazingly rich and thick. We kept adding milk to try to cut it a little, but it was still like rich chocolate pudding. I haven’t had the nerve to try it again, but I do have a bag of the stuff in my pantry mocking me.

And most recently, while I have mostly written off Starbucks as the Evil Empire of Inferior Coffee, preferring to patronize local establishments (“Oh yes, you have such a nice little cafe here”), during Wintertime Starbucks has the Gingerbread Latte, which I find to be absolutely yummy. Well, I did find it to be yummy; I have since burnt out on it. Where was I? Oh yes. While I was in Starbucks, getting my Gingerbread Latte, I noticed their ubiquitous signs for their new Chantico Drinking Chocolate. I did not try it. I think that was my final Gingerbread one too.

Then I come home to see that the Cracked Cauldron folks are taunting me with their own hot chocolate.

For some reason, this inspired me to Google “how to make thick hot chocolate” to get some recipes and try them out. (That, and the fact that the CC guys won’t give me their recipe. Sniff.) I came up with a whole bunch of different ones, which I plan on making to see if I can generate what I think is the perfect cup of hot chocolate. This might be a running feature on NKA. Or maybe I’ll die of clogged arteries.

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Amongst the things I learned whilst Googling around: there are pretty much three basic chocolate drinks:

1. hot cocoa: a thin, milky (or even watery!) drink flavored with cocoa powder. This is the drink most of us Americans have usually had.
2. hot chocolate: this is what I want. Quality chocolate plus milk and possibly one or two other ingredients, such as cornstarch or maybe an egg (for thickening).
3. drinking chocolate: this is pretty much melted chocolate in a cup. Quality chocolate plus cornstarch plus hot water. Maybe a spice like cinnamon or nutmeg. Drink.

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The first recipe I decided to try was Greg Baker’s. I don’t know who Greg was; he had a recipe that seemed doable.

Makes one large serving.

• 1 1/4 C milk
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• splash cream (optional, decrease quantity of milk)

Put the milk and cornstarch in a sauce pan. Whisk to disolve the cornstarch. Add the sugar and salt and whisk.

Bring this nearly to a boil and add the chocolate. Whisk to melt and disolve the chocolate. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and rum. Serve.

Notes

Most recipes say you need to finely chop the chocolate–that’s superstitious crap. Save yourself the trouble of washing a knife and cutting board. If your milk mixture is near the boil, it will quickly melt the average ounce square of chocolate. Just keep whisking so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

The cornstarch is important. It does thicken the drink slightly (which I like) but it’s more than that. Starch is an emulsifier. It keeps the cocoa butter (which is a fat) from separating and rising, causing a dark skin on top. With the quantity given here, it will still form a slight skin as it cools, but more makes it too thick.

Adding some cream makes a creamier hot chocolate, but the thickness created by the cornstarch does the same thing, without adding fat. I don’t usually add cream unless I have some sitting in the fridge waiting to spoil.

Don’t add too much rum or you’ll kill the taste of the chocolate. If you want to have a drink, just have a drink; don’t screw up your hot chocolate in the process.

I made this yesterday with Valrhona 71% chocolate—without the vanilla, rum, or cream—and while it came out pleasantly thick, it was also way too sweet. So I made it again today (it’s been hot chocolate week around here) without any sugar at all. Much better, at least for my taste buds.

So, currently, my recipe is:

• 1 1/4 C milk
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

If I make this again, I might add a little sugar in, because there is the sour aftertaste of the bittersweet chocolate, but not much. I might also try it with a little less cornstarch, to see what the optimal amount is.

Mind you, after you drink this, you don’t need to eat for a while.

If you have any pointers to important hot chocolate recipes I need to try, let me know!

Update: Well, since it is that time of the year when the weather makes you just wanna huddle down and drink hot chocolate all the time (yes, even in California), it seems like I’m finding new recipes left and right. This recipe sounds delish, especially as author Stephanie Zonis also expounds cogently on the differences between drinking chocolate, hot chocolate, and hot cocoa. This is a woman who knows what I want and how best I can achieve it!

Except now I have to try all these drinking chocolate products that are coming out… work, work, work.