One of our most exquisite holiday treats is Le Chocolat Chaud (or French hot chocolate). It is a sinfully rich, thick and creamy sipping chocolate — and if you're a chocolate lover it doesn't get much better. Serve in demitasse cups and finish with whipped cream and chocolate curls for the most luxurious afternoon tea.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup rich, whole milk
1/3 heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
5 ounces BEST quality semisweet chocolate, chopped*
Whipped cream, unsweetened
Chocolate curls
METHOD:
Combine the milk, cream and sugar together in saucepan and heat until just boiling. Remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate and allow to stand one minute and then begin whisking mixture until chocolate has completely melted and is incorporated into the milk and cream. Serve hot in small demitasse cups. Garnish with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate curls.
*Use the most expensive, premium chocolate you can buy — we generally use Callebaut (53%) or Valrhona Manjari (64%). If you use bittersweet chocolate, you may have to adjust sweetening a bit, depending on your personal taste. French sipping chocolate is not meant to be cloying sweet.
Photo credit (many thanks!) to Claudio Schwarz