What could be better than hot chocolate on a gray day? Add some chocolate powder to the microwaved milk and you’re done. Really? Too much sugar, too little chocolate and an unsatisfying taste in the mouth are inevitable.
With a few simple tricks, you can create the perfect hot chocolate. It should be chocolatey but not bitter, creamy but not thick, and sweet but not overly sweet.
some cream
The first tip to achieve a creamy result is a mixture of cream and milk (cow, soy, oat, rice…). Depending on your preference, you can mix a bit or more of cream with milk. Be careful not to overheat the milk.
The other key ingredient is chocolate in the form of chocolate bars or cocoa. Don’t compromise on the quality of chocolate in a recipe with so few ingredients.
You can try different types and different cocoa ingredients. If you like it very delicious, you can use a special mixture for hot chocolate, which is available in many patisseries.
Cocoa, but without lumps
Chocolate should be combined with approximately the same amount of cocoa powder. This makes the drink creamy and gives it a more intense flavor.
Another trick to avoid those dreaded cocoa lumps: Instead of pouring the cocoa powder into the milk, make a paste by vigorously mixing some milk or cream with cocoa in a separate bowl. Then this mixture is added to warm milk.
sweetener
Here you go! A pinch of salt and a teaspoon of instant coffee is all it takes to bring out the different flavors while reducing the bitterness. Now you can refine the perfect hot chocolate to your taste: add whipped cream or marshmallows as a topping, along with spices or alcohol.
Recipe for 2 people
You need:
- 4dl milk
- 1 dl + a pinch of whole cream
- 50 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 small pinch of salt
- 1/3 teaspoon instant coffee
Here’s how it’s done:
- Place the milk and cream in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until smoke begins to appear and small bubbles form around the edges. Be careful not to burn the milk and stir regularly.
- export in parallel In a separate bowl, add cocoa and a pinch of cream. Mix vigorously until a homogeneous mass is formed.
- Turn down the heat and add the crushed chocolate, cocoa paste, salt and instant coffee. Mix well until the chocolate melts. Add sugar if you want.
- Pour into glasses and add seasonings or sauces.