French Hot Chocolate

I've had this recipe forever. I probably got it out of a magazine. It is good, but the chocolate taste is not very strong. I think this would be good, minus the milk, used as a topping on regular hot chocolate, sort of like a chocolate whipped cream.

4 squares semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
4 cups milk

In the top of a double boiler, heat the semisweet chocolate and corn syrup until the chocolate is melted. Stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Add the whipping cream and beat until soft peaks form. Bring to room temperature. Spoon the chocolate cream into 6 mugs that have been warmed. In a saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles form around the edge. Pour over the chocolate cream in the mugs.

Serves 6

Parisian Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)
from https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/

Chocolate lovers, you’re in for a treat! The Parisian Hot Chocolate is a notoriously thick, rich and amazingly creamy treat – all while being made with no cream! It relies solely on top-quality chocolate and warm milk to create the perfect balance of rich flavors and silky texture. It’s a treat that’s both comforting and luxurious. One that’ll transport you right to a cozy Parisian café on a crisp winter’s day.

The velvety rich texture is achieved by the choice of top-quality bittersweet chocolate – and a generous amount of it – along with whole milk. This French Hot Chocolate isn’t nearly as sweet as the typical hot chocolate you would find in many other countries. The intense chocolate taste is really the star here. The Parisian Hot Chocolate is made with dark or bittersweet chocolate (lower in sugar), to which your desired amount of sugar is then added. That way, you have control over the amount of sugar you add to your cup – which I recommend keeping to a minimum, to allow the chocolate to shine

FMM: This was very good. I added just a teaspoon of brown sugar because I was using Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate (instead of bittersweet as in the recipe) and did not want the taste of French hot chocolate to be overpowered. I do not think it needed more, but it definitely added a little complexity to the hot chocolate. I would like to try this with bittersweet chocolate sometime.

Ingredients

Dark or bittersweet chocolate. Choosing a good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate is key for this recipe’s success. This isn’t something you sip on often, so treat yourself! My picks for good quality, but readily available chocolate include Lindt and Ghirardelli.

Milk. Whole milk (also known as Homogenized Milk) works best for the recipe. I would avoid 2%, 1%, skimmed, or low fat.

Brown Sugar. Readily found in most kitchens, this is the best choice for this Parisian Hot Chocolate. I prefer light brown sugar which is lighter in taste than dark. Note that in France, we usually use Cassonade for this recipe, which is unrefined brown sugar.

4 cups (1L) whole milk
10 ounces (260g) bittersweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
4 to 8 tbsp (50g to 100g) light brown sugar – depending on how sweet you like it

For 1 cup milk, use 2.5 ounces chocolate which is about 1/3 cup chocolate (I measured chocolate chips). I only used 1 tsp. brown sugar when I made it with semi-sweet chocolate (not bittersweet) and did not think it needed more.

The next time I made it I used powdered milk mixed with water. I do not use much milk and I am always having to throw it out because it soured, so I decided to see if I could make it with powdered milk which I keep around for baking. I used 1/3 cup powder per 1 cup water as opposed to 1/4 cup which you normally use when mixing to make it a little creamier and it tasted very good. The only thing I noticed was that the chocolate did not combine into as smooth a drink as with regular milk. The chocolate tended to separate out a bit.

Step 1 - Heat the whole milk in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Once very warm (not boiling) turn the heat off, and stir in the chopped chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted.

Step 2 - Turn the heat back on to medium, and bring the hot chocolate to a slow simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, and stir occasionally until you reach your desired thickness.

Step 3 - Turn the heat off and whisk in the brown sugar. Start with 1 tablespoon of sugar, taste, and add more if you like it a bit sweeter.

Step 4 - Pour the hot chocolate into individual cups: 4 US size coffee cups or 6 to 8 French size cappuccino/tea cups.

Serves: 4 people

Hot Chocolate can usually be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. Of course, this also depends on the freshness of the milk you used. To reheat, simply pour back the hot chocolate into a saucepan and reheat on low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm again.