Hot Chocolate

The snow is falling on top of the mountains of snow remaining from previous snow falls and the temperature remains in the lower third of the thermometer. The days are short and cold and the nights are long and even colder, but we're not complaining. There may not be a better time to talk about one of the favorite past-times of cold weather survival, and a staple of most families, than now. 

Hot Chocolate believed to have been created by the Mayan’s in about 2,000AD has spread its fame throughout the world delighting palates of all ages and backgrounds. Since the Mayan's had one of their many moments of genius, there have been a number of variations and plenty of time to perfect this tasty beverage. Moving forward to today, Hot Chocolate has become one of the staples of cold weather survival. Wrap your hands around a hot mug and the instant warmth wraps around you like your favorite childhood blanket. You haven’t even taken a sip yet and you have already imagined it giving you the warm feeling you’ve become accustomed to, not to mention it's smooth, creamy, hot qualities…delicious. There are few drinks adults and children can enjoy together with similar appreciation and fondness. Yes Hot Chocolate is the solution to world peace!

To be fair, there is hot chocolate and then there is Hot Chocolate. Some of the brands you see in stores are merely hot cocoa but masquerade as Hot Chocolate. It’s a crime, on the grandest scale, imagine going to the store and buying apple pie only to be stuck with piles of confectionery sugar in the shape of apples and crust made of bread instead of well, crust. These crimes are conducted by corporations both large and small more interested in their bottom line then your taste-buds. Think of hot chocolate as a 7-layer chocolate cake in a mug, has your attention peaked? Hot cocoa is easier and less time consuming to make, a fast solution to a fast paced world. Without having ingredients that are either impossible to pronounce or spell or both, here's a recipe many use with great success:

1 Tbsp. Dutch-processed cocoa (or 2 tsp. cocoa and 2 tsp. shaved bittersweet chocolate)
1 tsp. sugar, or to taste
8 oz. milk

Hot Chocolate, should consist of and taste like, what its name portrays: Chocolate, the hot kind, heated until it’s pourable, mixed with milk or cream or any combination thereof, and perhaps with accent flavors layered on top of it like mint, chili peppers or whatever suits your fancy.  It’s the best and perhaps most underutilized chocolate delivery system known to man.

An example of an excellent Hot Chocolate recipe comes from Sisha Ortuzar from Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft chain’.

Sisha Ortuzar’s Bay Leaf-Infused Hot Chocolate:

1.5 ounces (40-45 grams) bittersweet chocolate, 60-72% cacao, finely chopped
2.5 fluid ounces (5 Tbsp.) heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 dried bay leaf, crumbled
Pinch salt (optional)

Bring the milk and bay leaf to a simmer and let steep for at least five minutes, until the leaf is fragrant. Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl or directly into a mug. Heat the cream to a bare boil – be careful, as cream boils over fast and fat burns easily – and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for two minutes, and then stir to make a smooth paste. Strain the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth and integrated. Add a tiny pinch of salt, it can intensify the flavor of the chocolate, if desired and serve.

Share Some of your favorite Hot Chocolate or hot cocoa recipes by commenting!