Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate

Oh. my. goodness. If you consider yourself a chocolate-lover by any means, then this recipe is for YOU. It is by far the richest, most chocolatey cocoa I've ever had; so rich, in fact, that I almost couldn't finish it. {almost}

This is hot chocolate made from scratch, with all the extra good {read: unhealthy} ingredients. Because it's so sweet, I'd recommend making this your one sweet-treat for the day.

As I sipped this utterly rich and deliciously thick hot chocolate, I thought of the film Chocolat {with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp}. The film's lead character, Vianne, is a master Chocolatier and opens a Chocolaterie in a tiny French village. Vianne serves the richest and most decadent chocolate treats one could ever dream of, including her own version of hot chocolate. Every time I took a taste of my own hot chocolate from scratch, I couldn't help but think that this might be similar to the hot chocolate Vianne would have served in her Chocolaterie.

Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar

plus

1/4 cup high-quality cocoa powder
{this is what I used}:

and a bar of dark, bittersweet chocolate
{I used this}:

You want a bar of chocolate with a high cacao content, 60% or higher. The recipe called for 100 grams of this chocolate {it's a European recipe, hence the grams}, but this bar has 113 grams. So, if you want a teensy slice to enjoy for yourself, feel free {that is, if you like the taste of straight dark chocolate}! All in all, you'll be looking for a 4 oz. bar of chocolate or a little less.


Preparation:

Finely chop the chocolate bar. Martha Stewart taught me that a serrated knife cuts the chocolate easily and quickly. 

After about a minute, you'll end with this:

Next, in a medium saucepan, stir together the milk, cream, and sugar. Bring to a boil {slowly} over medium heat. 

Add the chopped chocolate pieces and the cocoa powder and bring to a boil again, all the while stirring with a whisk.

You want the chocolate to dissolve completely and the mixture to thicken, which happens after it comes to a boil.

Remove from heat immediately and pour into mugs. {it's very hot at this point, so give it several minutes to cool}

This recipe suggests topping the hot chocolate with whipped cream. We did so, and I added a light sprinkling of cinnamon {a personal preference}. Or top the whipped cream with a sprinkle of the cocoa powder. Of course, adding miniature marshmallows instead of the whipped cream would be an equally delicious way to enjoy this drink.

Enjoy! {I am certain you will!}

If you try this recipe, please let me know what you thought of it!

And just remember, I warned you, when this recipe says "rich"....boy, do they mean it!