Parisian Hot Chocolate Recipe

Is it possible to get addicted to hot chocolate? I would have said no, but then again, I've been singing a different tune over the last couple of weeks. Or I would, you know, if my mouth wasn't so full with hot chocolate. 


As N says, this tastes like hot chocolate from Max Brenner, which made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

When I get rich, I'll keep a vat of melted chocolate on hand, just like the ones they have at over at Max Brenner. Until then, I'll melt chocolate in a pot over my wee stove, and angle the camera to make the pot look deeper than it actually is. 

I came across the recipe all the way back as a wee young lad in 2013. It was one of those recipe I tried for a couple of times and let it fall by the wayside. The results were decent, but it never caught onto as part of my repertoire mostly because breaking out the knives and cutting board to chop up chocolate bars for a cup of beverage was such a chore. Who's got time for that?

But ever since I saw Callebaut tablets for sale at Costco, and my Costco buddy reminded me on the finer joys of hot chocolate, life hasn't quite been the same. I can't remember the last time when I grinded coffee beans for my (once-upon a time) daily cuppa of coffee anymore. Chocolate is my new poison now. 

This recipe is such a breeze to make when no chopping is involved. I now make it every day. 

Or sometimes even twice a day. 

Parisian Hot Chocolate
Original recipe from David Lebovitz
Makes one serving (I scaled down from the original recipe, which makes four servings.) 

Ingredients
1/2 cup (.125L) whole milk
35g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (best-quality), 
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional - I never added this)
a few flecks of sea-salt (optional - neither, but it seems like a good idea).

Steps
1. Heat the milk over a medium fire until warm to the touch.

2. Add the chocolate. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts, and let the mixture boil for about a minute.  

3. Taste and add brown sugar or sea-salt if desired.

4. Serve warm.

Note: 
This hot chocolate improves if made ahead and allowed to sit for a few hours. Rewarm before serving. 

Taste may defer with on the cocoa content of your chocolate. I made mine with Callebaut 54.5%, and even without additional sugar, a couple of friends remarked that it was too sweet. If it's too sweet, try cutting down on the amount of chocolate used according to taste, but do give the original proportions a try first. 

Variation: 
For a thicker hot chocolate, cook at a very low boil for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Be careful and keep an eye on the mixture, as it may boil up a bit during the first moments. (This tends to make it far too thick for me to enjoy, but everybody has different preference)

Iced Chocolate: Place porcelain cups into the freezer. Let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, fill the chilled cups with the (no-longer) hot chocolate, and add a scoop (or two!) of ice cream. One scoop of vanilla and another scoop of chocolate is the classic option, but you can always dial it up a notch with Bailey's Ice Cream. Top with shaved chocolate and serve immediately. (Picture seen above)