It’s no secret that I love hot chocolate (stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on my favorite hot chocolate spots in New England). I drink a cup of homemade hot chocolate nearly every day, and many times twice a day. I never liked the taste of coffee, so hot chocolate is my coffee.
I have a lot of people ask this question: What is the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate? Aren’t they just different words for the same thing? Is one the American version and one the European version?
The answer is that hot COCOA is made with hot milk blended with a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar. Hot CHOCOLATE is made by melting chocolate into hot milk. Therefor, hot chocolate is generally rich and thick, which is why I prefer it to it’s cocoa counterpart.
It’s actually very easy to make a pot of delicious hot chocolate, and here is my recipe for it!
DELICIOUSLY CREAMY HOT CHOCOLATE
Ingredients:
1 cup of 2% reduced fat or whole milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
dash of vanilla
pinch of kosher salt
a pump of Monin Salted Caramel Syrup (optional)
1/4 cup of chopped dark or semisweet chocolate
1 egg yolk (optional)
Yields: 1 large mug full.
Directions:
1.) In a small saucepan, heat the milk, heavy cream, salt, vanilla, and syrup (if using) over a medium low heat, stirring infrequently. Bring the mixture till it is almost to the point of boiling, but don’t let it boil!
2.) Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute and then whisk vigorously for a couple minutes until the chocolate has completely dissolved and the mixture is creamy.
3.) Pour into a large mug and enjoy!
If you are adding an egg yolk:
3.) Before pouring the hot chocolate mixture into the mug, put the egg yolk in a small bowl.
4.) Then take 1-2 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mixture and pour over the egg yolk.
5.) Whisk with a fork till combine, then add the egg mixture to the hot chocolate mixture in the saucepan.
6.) Put the saucepan back on a low heat and whisk vigorously for one minute.
7.) Pour the hot chocolate through a fine mesh strainer, just to catch any cooked egg that may be in there.
9.) Pour the strained mixture into the mug and enjoy!)