Cold Weather Comfort
A cup of hot chocolate in my favorite mug brings me comfort and seems to make everything better.
Tired of hearing about the snow? Take a breather, stop time for a moment and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate. And I don’t mean you should combine hot water with some powdered brown mix. Try the old fashion way on the stove.
It doesn’t take much longer and the difference is phenomenal. Try this recipe. It’s a warm, luscious, smooth tasting cup of chocolaty goodness made with REAL chocolate. It will make one very large mug or two cups to share. Warning: this is not for the lactose intolerant.Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan and warm on the stove until just beginning to simmer. I use half and half cream and skim milk as that was what I had in the fridge. It’s important to use the cream for that smooth creaminess consistency but if you want an even richer taste, you can use whole milk instead of skim milk.
In the meantime, take your chocolate and chop into small pieces. Because of my love for dark chocolate, I used Callebaut dark chocolate. You can use milk chocolate if you like but the darker the chocolate, the richer the taste. Chop the chocolate into small pieces with a sharp knife. Don’t try to cut large pieces off but work around the edges of the chocolate shaving off smaller sections continually turning it. Once the milk and cream is just beginning to simmer, remove the pan from the stove and add the chopped chocolate reserving a tablespoon of the smaller shavings. Stir the chocolate in until it’s melted. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir.
Pour into your favorite mug. For those who want even more decadence, top with whipped cream (please don’t use cool whip) and the reserved chocolate shavings. Sit in your most comfortable chair, sip a taste of this rich, warm, creamy chocolate bliss and allow yourself to forget any stresses you have. It works for me!Here’s the full recipe:1 and 1/4 cup of milk (skim or whole)
1 cup of half and half cream
4 ounces chocolate, chopped (dark bittersweet or milk or combination)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional garnish if desired - whipped cream and 1 tablespoon chocolate shavingsHeat milk and cream over low heat on stove until just beginning to simmer. Remove from stove and add in chopped chocolate reserving one tablespoon of smaller shavings for garnish. Stir until melted. Add in sugar and vanilla and stir to mix. Pour into serving mug and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.