The Art of Hot Chocolate

choco
Originally uploaded by Sangster.

Here's one for the foodies!

I understand that popping a packet of Swiss Miss and adding boiling water is more practical, considering how busy everyone is these days, but the beauty of a large cup of real, thick gooey hot chocolate cannot be understated. Just ask monsieur Hercule Poirot.

Like all good food, hot chocolate is more than just something you eat. It's an art, and as with all art, the process is as important as the result.

Here's a simple recipe for hot chocolate, something that I think may be of interest to a lot of people now that winter is upon us. It's based on a lot of experimentation and various references. Like logs popping in the fireplace, warm socks, favorite blankets, and snifters with generous dollops of cognac, I think hot chocolate is something we should all take some time to enjoy.

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

200 g finely chopped chocolate.

500 ml light cream

250 ml water

2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened baker's cocoa powder.

Preparation:

1. Start by chopping the chocolate with a good heavy knife. Obviously, you want to use a good, high-quality chocolate. Try any gourmet grocery, like Dean and Deluca's or Zabars. For the deepest texture and aroma, try mixing half bitter and half sweetened chocolate. Experiment. Above all, enjoy the process. Chopping chocolate is really a therapeutic exercise, akin to trimming fresh mushrooms or stuffing peppers. Enjoy the crunch of the knife chopping through the hunk of chocolate, and the soft noise.

2. Mix the cream, water, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to a soft simmer over a low-medium flame. Temperature control here is the key. You don't want to boil the cream too vigorously, because that will result in a weird protein-heavy smell, but you don't want to take too long, or the cream will just go over and be ruined. It should be just enough for a good steam to work up from the surface. It's also fun to add a stick of vanilla or a dollop of cognac or Bailey's while you're doing this, according to your taste.

3. Take the hot cream off the flame. Stir in the chopped chocolate, making sure it is evenly melted with no lumps.

4. Here's the important part: to truly enjoy the texture and flavor of the chocolate, you want to let the mixture cool for a while before reheating it and finally tasting. Personally, I'd recommend covering it and keeping it in the fridge for at least an hour or two before bringing it back to a good simmer and pouring it into a good heavy mug or cup to enjoy.

That's about it! Try it! Enjoy it! Experiment a bit and send me some suggestions to improve the recipe! Happy winter everybody!