I believe in miracles. Where you from ? You sexy thing!

[venta]

A couple of years ago I was reading Chocolat, and kept finding myself being jealous of the chocolate the lady made for customers. Then I'd realise that actually this wonderful nectar she was describing was only chocolate and thus not nearly as enticing as expected[*]. Chocolate's nice enough, but I can't get excited about it. Joanne Harris' descriptions of chocolate, however, made it sound exotic, mysterious and beautiful.

I've always found hot chocolate in particular a disappointment. In books, people talk about "a cup of chocolate" and it always sounds terribly appealing. Then I make or buy hot chocolate, and it turns out to be insipid, vaguely chocolate-flavoured hot milk. Hot chocolate should, in my imagination, be of a much thicker consistency.

Exactly once in my life (so far) have I had hot chocolate that lived up to the hype, in a café in Paris. I don't think the café was anything special, really, it was a chain with a vaguely North American Indian-sounding name and an orange fascia. ChrisC and I had brunch there and (having chosen tea) I stole almost all of his hot chocolate. Twice, chocolate vendors have come close - the Cafe Ritazza in Paddington Station once served me an almost-perfect cup that tasted of hazelnuts (a few weeks later they were back to selling blashy, bland rubbish), and the stripey tent sold me an almost-perfect cup on Sunday night at Glastonbury this year.

But that's it. So, the question I ask is this: how do you make nice hot chocolate ? It should be the consistency of thick cream, and a "blanket" should form rapidly on the top as it does on custard. It should be dark and rich, but not too sweet, and slightly cooler than hot.

Yes, I've tried using proper powdered chocolate (Green & Blacks, Charbonnel et Walker) and full-fat milk. The result is just thin. If you start putting more chocolate in, it gets bitter. I've mixed cream with chocolate when making cakes, and that doesn't have the right result either. I wondered if evaporation might be the trick, but that just results in less hot chocolate (which is mysteriously not noticeably thicker) - which is a shame, because it was a good theory. If shops made up vats of the stuff, it'd explain why you occasionally get a good cup.

If anyone has any idea how to make it, then please give me a clue. Otherwise, suggestions welcome of places which might serve it.

[*] Yeah, I know, I just lost 50% of readers. Just bear with me, ok?

Comments

[sciolist.livejournal.com]

What about drinking hot chocolate custard? Alpro's soya custard stuff in chocolate flavour is surprisingly nice.

Yeah, I know it sounds vile, but it -is- nice.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

I make chocolate custard. Yum. But very easy to make too sweet, if you use instant hot chocolate :-(. I tried cocoa nibs in custard, but they just went soggy :-(.

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

Add whipped cream to normal hot chocolate, it thickens it nicely.

Whether it would meet your slightly insane standards, I don't know :o)

[ar-gemlad.livejournal.com]

Not being a connoisseur, I wouldn't know - but my theory is that evaporated milk might work.

[killalla]

I don't know about making it at home, but my best advice is definitely to go to Europe - I've found that many local shops in Portugal and Spain (also the Valor chain) do nice hot chocolate, which has more of the consistency of melted chocolate, and they also have churros for dipping!

[nisaba.livejournal.com]

I've often wondered the same thing. I've had amazing hot chocolate twice in my life, and I'd love to know how to make it myself.

I will also add that the right chocolate is exotic, mysterious and beautiful. If you've ever near L'Artisan du Chocolat for example, you'd be doing yourself a serious disservice to not stop and try one of their fondants. Ohmygod melts into liquid luscious heaveninyourmouth.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

You have to put the milk in hot, and gradually, like when you're making white sauce from a roux*. Otherwise you get chocolate flavoured milk with bits of powder sitting at the bottom.

*I have no idea how this word is actually spelt

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Hot chocolate is one of those weird drinks where the name's come to be used for a few different things that are pretty much nothing like each other.

1) A milk drink flavoured weakly with chocolate.
2) A very sweet hot drink made with cocoa and lots of sugar.
3) A drink made with melted chocolate and steamed milk.

It sounds like the stuff you're fond of is an instance of 3. The trick to making it is not to make 1 or 2 instead. Aside from milk (and/or cream) the other ingredient is chocolate. Not cocoa. Not powder or granules or syrup. Actual chocolate.

To make the stuff, melt it in a pan then add steamed milk gradually until you have the consistency you want. If, like me, you don't have a milk steamer then it's fine to use a microwave or another pan. Or even the same pan by adding cold milk if you're really careful (boil any of it and the whole lot will taste slightly of boiled milk).

And in case it's not obvious: the flavour you get depends on the chocolate you use. Something like Menier is good if you can find it, though most people would want to add some sugar. Bournville is OK for most tastes, but you might find it too sweet. Experiment to work out what you like!

[nalsa.livejournal.com]

In a pan, pour 1 pint of full-fat milk. Break up and add a bar of Maya Gold. Over a low heat, whisk until the chocolate has melted into the milk, then turn up the heat slightly and whisk until at the required temperature, which should be just as the milk starts to boil. That's how I make it, anyway.

[stompyboots.livejournal.com]

Italian hot chocolate. It's like a liquid mousse, and does exactly what you describe vis-a-vis skin on top and thickness.

I buy this stuff at Portobello Market. You can probably get it online, but the site's under construction at the moment.

You *have* to make it in a pan with milk, or it won't go as thick and fluffy.

But it's exactly what you're after, and comes in a bajillion flavours.

[hjalfi.livejournal.com]

Scarily, I've just encountered exactly what you describe --- Aero Hot Chocolate Drink. It's the Chuck Norris of hot chocolates. It comes in a massive can (Aero Drink sneers at puny can sizes). You put a big scoop of it, with the provided scoop, into a mug (Aero Drink sneers at those pathetic little teaspoons). You add hot, but not boiling, water and it froths madly (When you put Aero Drink into water, it doesn't get wet. The water gets Aero Drink instead). You end up with a thick, goopy brown liquid that tastes of chocolate and muscles its way down your throat like... uh... sorry, I've run out of metaphors.

I don't much care for it, myself.