This year Valentine’s Day falls on a very wintry Sunday and what could be more delicious than a steaming cup of Le Chocolat Chaud, Hot Chocolate, made the French way sipped slowly on a bitterly cold morning? No powdery mixes with water added, but a full rich cup made with hot milk, good quality bittersweet chocolate chopped, raw sugar and vanilla extract. After all it is Valentine’s weekend and a little effort is called for. Nothing fancy or costly, just a cup of love.
Maybe a pinch of cayenne for some extra heat, or cardamom for a bit more exotic flavor?
Chopped Callabaut chocolate and sugar added to a cup…..
…hot steamy milk slowly poured in while stirring to melt the chocolate.
Make it, sip it, share it. Be kind, be well. Love and be loved.
Le Chocolat Chaud or Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- very good quality bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- whole milk (or you can use other milks of your choice)
- raw or turbinado sugar
- vanilla extract
- optional: cayenne pepper, cardamom
Directions:
- For each cup of chocolate heat 1 cup of milk slowly, until steamy, but not boiling.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of chopped chocolate to each cup.
- Add in sugar to taste and a bit of vanilla extract.
- Slowly pour hot milk over chocolate mixture in each cup and stirring until melted. Top cups off with more hot milk and serve.
- Optional prep idea: Put all ingredients for multiple cups together in a saucepan, heating over medium heat while whisking. Serve hot.
Adapted from a recipe by David Lebovitz
Rewritten and reposted from Jan. 2016 Food on Fifth.