Hot Chocolate: Homemade and so good

Bonjour! Bonjour!

Hot chocolate! Just putting the two words together evokes coziness. Hot chocolate by the fire (writing that sends me to the Bistro in Louise Penny’s mythical village of Three Pines). Hot chocolate on the slopes. Hot chocolate in the kitchen – of course, you’re in pajamas; maybe even fuzzy slippers. Hot chocolate after sledding – Joshua, if you’re reading this, do you remember having hot chocolate after going down the “sledding hill” in Riverside Park? Hot chocolate after a walk in the snow. Hot chocolate after shoveling the snow (that would be hot chocolate as comfort and reward). When I was a kid, we’d get hot chocolate when we’d come in from skating or making snowmen. Back then, I loved the idea of it, and I loved how good it felt to wrap my hands around the hot cup. But it wasn’t until I was an adult that I came to like actual hot chocolate as much as I liked the idea of it, because it was only as a grown-up that I had real hot chocolate – my mom, like so many busy moms of that time, made us hot cocoa from a powdered mix. I file this memory under “it’s the thought that counts”.

I credit the celebrated Paris pastry chef, Pierre Hermé, for helping me to appreciate the true pleasures of real hot chocolate. And the possibilities, too. It was when we were working on the book, Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé, that he suggested we include a recipe for hot chocolate. That was 20 years ago, and it’s probably about time that I admit that I thought it was a bad idea. It just didn’t seem like a recipe worthy of a world-class pastry chef. Of course, I was wrong - it was a great idea! In fact, it was such a good idea that the book ended up with several recipes for hot chocolate.

Among them is a recipe for Original Hot Chocolate, which is based on dark chocolate and cocoa powder and made with water – the better to allow the flavor of the chocolate to come through. There’s another for what Pierre thinks of as Classic Hot Chocolate, made with dark chocolate and a mixture of milk and water. And my favorite recipe, Spiced Hot Chocolate.

Scroll down for the recipes.

And now, it’s time for hot chocolate and a curl-up in front of my imaginary fireplace. Have a cozy weekend and I’ll see you on the other side of it.

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Makes 2 servings

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the chocolate and cocoa and, stirring with a whisk, heat the mixture until one bubble pops to the surface. Pull the saucepan from the heat and whip the hot chocolate for about 1 minute with a blender (handheld of countertop). Serve immediately in large cups or pour into a container to cool. (The hot chocolate can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.)

TO REHEAT the chilled chocolate: Pour the chocolate into a medium saucepan, set the pan over low heat and cook, whisking gently, just until the first bubble pops. Remove the pan from the heat, whip the chocolate for a minute and serve.

Makes 2 servings

Bring the milk, water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the chocolate and, stirring with a whisk, heat the mixture until one bubble pops to the surface. Pull the saucepan from the heat and whip the hot chocolate for about 1 minute with a blender (handheld of countertop). Serve immediately in large cups or pour into a container to cool. (The hot chocolate can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.)

TO REHEAT: see Original Hot Chocolate

TO MAKE COLD HOT CHOCOLATE: Cool the hot chocolate, then chill it. When the chocolate is cold, stir in 1/4 cup (60 grams) cold water, then whip the cold chocolate for a minute with a blender. For each serving, put 1 or 2 ice cubes in a tall glass and pour over the chocolate.

Makes 4 servings

Bring the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon, vanilla bean (pulp and pod), peppercorns and lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate and cocoa and, stirring with a whisk, heat the mixture until one bubble pops on the surface. Pull the saucepan from the heat and strain the hot chocolate; discard the solids. Pour the chocolate back into the saucepan and whip it with a handheld blender for about 1 minute (or pour it into a countertop blender and whip for 1 minute). Serve immediately in large cups or pour into a container to cool. (The hot chocolate can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.)

TO REHEAT: see Original Hot Chocolate

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