French Hot Chocolate
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but delicious. Will intensify chocolate flavor)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, at least 70%, chopped*
Giant bowl of whipped cream, for serving
Choose the best quality chocolate you can, as the flavor really carries the drink. I love Guittard for a splurge, Ghirardelli or Godiva, but the Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% dark bar is quite good too. I do not recommend chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers and do not melt as well.
Directions
n a medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and espresso powder until small bubbles appear around edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Remove from saucepan from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted, returning the sauce to low heat if needed for the chocolate to melt completely. Serve warm, topped with lots of whipped cream.
Leftover French hot chocolate can be cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated in an airtight container (empty mason or jam jars work particularly well). Reheat gently the in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.
*Recipe based off of Cafe Angelina’s Le chocolat chaud à l’ancienne dit “l’Africain,” as interpreted by several sources, including Tastebook and Cooking by the Book.
