French Style Hot Chocolate

Spread the joy of cooking...!

It's the holiday season and the season for hot chocolates too. As the days are getting cooler, we all urge for something warm, cosy and comforting. And what could be better than a cup of hot, creamy and delicious Hot Chocolate? My whole family is so much addicted to this drink that I prepare it on regular basis. Being a lover of this drink I really need some variations so I try to prepare something different all the time. During my small research and trial, I came across the French Style Hot Chocolate. And from that moment it became my favourite. What makes it extra special is the texture and silkiness of the drink. The velvety texture will surely give you a feeling that you are drinking something luxurious. 

Whenever I thought of chocolate drink earlier I used to think that it must be something rich in flavour and texture. But most of the hot chocolates are thin and running. While searching for my type of hot chocolate, in between, I once visited Paris and there I tried hot chocolate and that was the moment when I realised that this was the hot chocolate I was searching for. In Paris, almost every coffee shop will serve you hot chocolate with almost the same recipe. In Paris, they call it Chocolat Chaud. The texture will be more like a lighter version of melted chocolate. With this recipe, you can do little variations. You can add a little vanilla extract or some cinnamon powder for that extra kick.

I don't add anything but chocolate because I like the pure chocolate flavour and after all, it's hot chocolate. There are many ways of making this French-style hot chocolate but this one is my take on it. I have tried this with only milk but it was not giving the silky texture so I used the combination of milk and cream in this recipe. I simmered milk and chocolate together. When bubbles started to appear I quickly removed them from the heat and added a combination of dark chocolate and milk chocolate both. Stirred well until all chocolate melted.  Put it back over a heat added a pinch of salt. Cooked again for a few minutes. And viola hot chocolate was ready in no time.

Here is my complete recipe as follows:-

Prep Time:-5 minutes   Cooking Time:- 12 minutes  Total Time:- 17 minutes

Total Serving:- 2 persons

Measurement:-

1 cup = 250 ml 

¾ cup = 200 ml

½ cup = 125 ml 

1/3 cup = 80 ml

1 tablespoon = 15 ml

1 teaspoon = 5 ml

½ teaspoon = 2.5 ml
¼ teaspoon = 1.25 ml

Ingredients:-

* Full fat milk:- 1 1/2 cups

* Full crème:- 1/2 cup

* Dark Chocolate:- 70 grams

* Milk Chocolate:- 50 grams

* Vanilla Extract:- 1/2 teaspoon

* Salt:- a small pinch

Method:-

1. Heat milk and cream in a saucepan. Once it comes to a boil lower the heat and simmer it for 5 minutes.

2. Chop all the chocolates so that they can melt evenly. Add the dark chocolate and milk chocolate, mix well till all of them are well incorporated. Use a whisk to mix the chocolates till all of them are evenly melted. (Refer to notes below.)

3. Add vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt. (A pinch of salt will bring out all the flavours from the hot chocolate.) Simmer it for 10 more minutes till the milk is thickened and glossy. Keep whisking it or a thin layer of cream will accumulate over it. After 10 minutes is ready to be served.

4. Pour it into your desired mug, top it with some whipped cream and serve piping hot.

Notes:-

* You can add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar if you like more sweets in your drink.

* Try to use bittersweet dark chocolate with more than 60% of cocoa for best results.

* If your drink is too runny, add some more chocolate and simmer it till your desired consistency, and if it's too thick add some milk to it. 

Serving Tips:- Enjoy your hot chocolate for breakfast or after dinner on cold winter days.

Calorie Count for reference:-

Do try my recipe and leave your comments before. Till then happy cooking.

relishsavour.com by Madhurima Roy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License