Homemade Hot Chocolate
Winter & Hot Chocolate make for a classic combo. The joy of sipping this warm, creamy, sinful drink on a cold wintry day is something else. And the massive snowfall which ground Munich to a complete stand-still , gave me an opportunity to make & relish this winter delight and bring it to you right in time for Christmas along with my other Christmas delights. There are many ways of making this winter delight. It is as easy as stirring in some cocoa-powder into hot-milk! But, if you want to make it absolutely creamy and with intense rich chocolaty flavour, read on!
How to make Hot Chocolate
Yes, it is as simple as stirring in some cocoa-powder into hot milk but, get your hands on a bar of good quality Cooking Chocolate of your choice and you will never go back to using cocoa-powder to make hot chocolate. This gives your Hot Chocolate, a greater depth of flavour, creaminess and shine which cocoa-powder can never replicate. This is because cocoa-powder doesn’t have the cocoa-butter in it.
Chop the chocolate and combine it with the full-fat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Allow the chocolate to melt and combine well with the milk. Use a whisk to aid this. It is very important to not let the milk boil. Maintain it at a scalding temperature, else you will have a grainy Hot Chocolate.
Depending on the type of chocolate used, add some sugar to sweeten the Hot Chocolate. A Dark Chocolate would require sweetening, but a Milk-Chocolate can be enjoyed best as-is. Also, if you prefer a dash of added favour, vanilla works best but feel free to dabble with flavours of your choice to make this drink your own. To serve, pour the hot chocolate into a glass and top it with some whipped cream & marshmallows.
Take a sip, and you will never go back to using cocoa-powder to make Hot chocolate. And if you want to make it more interesting for the adults, add a dash of Rum and make it a Lumumba which is quite a crowd favourite at the Christmas Markets in Germany.
Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
for the Hot Chocolate:
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 200 gms Cooking Dark Chocolate (60% Cacao), chopped
- 1 tbsp Sugar (white granulated), (optional)
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
for Serving the Hot Chocolate:
- Whipped Cream (optional)
- Marshmallows (optional)
Instructions
Making the Hot Chocolate:
- In a saucepan, combine the Milk & the chopped Chocolate over medium-low heat (scalding temperature)
- As the chocolate begins to soften and melt, gently whisk it and help it combine well with the milk
- Add the sugar and vanilla (if using) and gently simmer (do not boil) for a few minutes
- Once it is nicely hot & steamy, take it off the heat and pour into serving glasses
Serving suggestion (optional):
- Top the hot chocolate with whipped cream & some marshmallows
Notes
- Sugar is needed only if Dark chocolate is used. Milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolates with a lower cacao content don’t need any additional sweeteners
- Once cooled to room temperature, Hot Chocolate can be refrigerated for upto 3 days
- Reheat the Hot Chocolate over the stove top until hot & steamy. Do not boil!
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