Proper Hot Chocolate

I'm not really one for hot drinks. I can't stand tea or coffee and I'm not a fan of the herbal kinds either. One thing I have always loved though, is hot chocolate. I remember getting it from the machine in school purely to sip the precious foam off the top of the otherwise watery and quite rank brown liquid below. As I grew older I'm thankful to say my tastes refined somewhat! I moved on from drinking chocolate to cocoa, perfecting my frothing technique on the many many instruments we bought for the job! I still think the best one was actually pretty much like a cafetierre. It would make the thickest and creamiest foam, but was a bloody mission to pump! 

However there was nothing quite like trying my first proper hot chocolate. I was travelling around the world on my gap year (yes I can hear the groans!) and was in Queenstown, New Zealand. There was this cafe that served up mugs of what seemed like pure molten chocolate. It was divine! Thick and creamy, rich and full of chocolate flavour with hints of cinnamon and not at all sickly or sweet. 

I have been on a mission to recreate this experience ever since and I think I have just done it! It's been ages since I posted a recipe on the blog so I this seemed like a perfect mini recipe to get me going again.

I added mini marshmallows to mine but otherwise it's all natural and no added refined sugar . There are loads of studies that suggest dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa solids actually has many beneficial properties. It contains flavinols that are shown to have antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties and studies suggest it has a beneficial effect on cholesterol. So you could basically say this is a health drink! *

I find the easiest way to get good froth is to use a hand blender at the very end. Works really well and the forth is thick enough to hold up to being poured into a mug.

A note about ingredients. With so few ingredients it is worth using the best quality you can. I try to use organic milk all the time, the amount of hormones and antibiotics pumped into cows is horrifying and it comes to us straight through their milk. To get any beneficial properties of chocolate you need to go for a high quality one with at least 70% cocoa solids (good chocolate will say this on the packet). I use cinammon sticks but ground is fine, add it at the end to your taste starting with a pinch. You could use honey instead of maple syrup to sweeten, but it will alter the taste. Start with a small amount (1/2 a teaspoon) and taste before adding any more.

Ingredients 

Just under a mug full of milk (I used semi skimmed but for a fully luxurious drink use whole and/or a dash of cream)

50 g dark chocolate 

Small cinammon stick

1-2 teaspoon maple syrup (optional depending on how sweet a tooth you have)

A pinch of sea salt

Chop your chocolate up into little pieces or grate it.

Add about 1/4 of the milk to a small pan. If it doesn't cover the bottom then add a splash more (although your pan may be a bit big!) Add the cinnamon stick and heat gently until it is steaming, then take it off the flame. 

Add the chopped chocolate and stir until it has melted. 

Slowly pour in the rest of the milk stirring as you go and put the pan back on the heat. Heat until steaming but not boiling, turn off the flame. 

Add a pinch of sea salt (you can't taste it but it really lifts the chocolate flavour) and taste. If you wish, add a a teaspoon or two of maple syrup, but the drink shouldn't be too sweet. 

Remove the cinnamon stick and froth using a hand blender. Pour into your mug and if you are being naughty (like me!) top with a few mini marshmallows. 

Voila! Luxurious hot chocolate! 

*Disclaimer: I don't profess to this being any kind of health drink!