Chocolate Chaud – French Hot Chocolate

Chocolate chaud or the French version of hot chocolate has been around for over 200 years and it’s easy to see why.  It is not the type of thing you get by mixing some Nestle or Hersey powdered cocoa with some hot milk in the microwave, but it’s not complicated to make.  Traditionally, one would use a chocolatière which is a traditional hot chocolate pot and frother.

I got the idea to use the cappucino frother when I saw a waiter in Paris make hot chocolate this way.  I also like to use both powdered cocoa and real shavings of the finest chocolate you can find.

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. Nestle Unsweetend Powdered Cocoa (usually says “For Baking” on the label)
• Dash salt
• 1/3 c. hot water
• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 c. teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. good quality chocolate with 67% cocoa content, shaved or finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add chocolate shavings and stir until fully dissolved.  Remove from heat and add milk; stirring constantly, either heat to serving temperature and then add to a traditional chocolate pot, a traditional cooking instrument found all over Europe. It looks something like an old-fashioned coffee pot but has a hole in the lid and a funny stick called a frother. You can prepare hot chocolate in a regular pot, but chocolate aficionados will only use a proper chocolate pot. Or in my version, you simply add the milk and then froth the cup of hot chocolate using the cappucino machine attachment in the cup, finally submersing the frothing attachment to warm the cup of hot chocolate to serving temperature.