As the days gradually shorten and the temperature drops, there’s nothing quite like a bracing afternoon walk followed by a comforting mug of hot chocolate. Most hot chocolate is good in my book, but for the ultimate Theobroma experience, it’s worth taking that extra few minutes to make yourself some real hot chocolate.
Hot chocolate is an indulgence I allow myself from time to time. I figure not only does it have a high feel good factor, but it’s an awful lot better for me than dashing to the shops for a cheap chocolate bar fix. This has also been known to happen, unfortunately.
Real Chocolate
When I make hot chocolate, I like to use real chocolate rather than cocoa or chocolate powder. It feels more luxurious and you can use the brand, type or cacao percentage to suit your mood or palate. The quality and type of chocolate will make quite a difference.
I remember comparing and contrasting three different drinking chocolates once, each made from a different single origin chocolate bar. The 70% from Brazil was rich and very chocolatey; the 61% from Madagascar had the familiar buttermilk tang that I appreciate so much and the 75% from Peru had notes of tobacco and coffee. You can read a bit more about it in my hot chocolate review post.
Vary The Flavour
If you’re a frequent hot chocolate drinker, why not stir things up a bit and try different flavours in your drink? Spices are a classic addition and go particularly well. The ancient Mayan xocolatl included vanilla and chilli. This combination is a particular favourite of mine. You can also use cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom and a pinch of sea salt is regarded as mandatory by some gurus.
I often make it with a few squares of chilli chocolate.
There’s just so much fun to be had. Go mad with alcohol. Rum, brandy and amaretto are all good, but my personal favourite is to whisk in a wee dram of whisky right at the very end. For something a bit more substantial, this honeyed rose hot chocolate makes a fabulous treat.
You can also use white chocolate. It’s generally way too sweet for me, but I’ve found it works exceedingly well with matcha (Japanese powdered green tea) as in this matcha hot chocolate.
Sweeteners
I much prefer a drink where I can taste the chocolate and I’m not overwhelmed by sugar. For me, the sugar already present in dark chocolate is usually enough. However, if you want to use a really dark chocolate or even a 100% variety, you’ll probably want to add some sort of sweetener.
Sugar is fine, but honey or maple syrup work well too and give a distinctive flavour. If you like your hot chocolate sweeter than me, just add sugar to taste. You could even add a little milk chocolate to the mix instead of going all out dark.
Vegan Hot Chocolate
It’s easy to make a dairy free or vegan hot chocolate. Just use your favourite vegan milk along with vegan friendly chocolate. I’ve found cashew or coconut milk work best, although hemp milk is also good. This rich and velvety vegan hot chocolate is particularly delicious. I make it with 85% dark chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut milk and a little maple syrup.
If you have a particularly good quality chocolate, try it mixed with hot water only. The various notes and tones really come through and it makes for a much richer drink.
These days it’s quite easy to get hold of vegan marshmallows, so go crazy.
Hot Chocolate
For a truly indulgent drink, pour your hot chocolate into a mug, scatter some marshmallows over the surface and top with whipped cream. The marshmallows are like a raft, holding up the cream and stopping it from sinking and melting. Don’t forget to scatter a bit more grated chocolate over the cream before sticking your spoon in.
In this instance I forwent the cream and marshmallows, but used marshmallow fluff instead. I have been known to add both marshmallow fluff and whipped cream, but enough said about that.
Marshmallow fluff is very sweet, but it adds an extra dimension and makes it feel as though the hot chocolate is more of a dessert than a drink. It’s also vegetarian.
It’s best to chop your chocolate quite finely or grate it so it can melt quickly and your drink won’t be cold from whisking before it gets to the cup. You can also buy pre-chopped chocolate especially for this purpose. I’ve reviewed several brands of drinking chocolate over the years and some are much better than others.
For a cold version of real hot chocolate, take a look at my recipe for indulgent chocolate milk.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate drink with real chocolate, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Real Hot Chocolate. PIN IT.
Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 400 ml whole milk or plant milk of your choice
- 50 g 70% dark chocolate – finely chopped or grated. Plus 10g extra for sprinkling
- 1 tbsp marshmallow fluff
Instructions
- Heat the milk to near boiling point. Take off the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth.400 ml whole milk, 50 g 70% dark chocolate –
- Pour into two mugs or large cups, then top with the marshmallow fluff and a good sprinkling of grated chocolate.1 tbsp marshmallow fluff
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
This recipe for real drinking chocolate is my contribution to October’s #WeShouldCocoa.
I’m also sharing this mug of deliciousness with #CookBlogShare over at Recipes Made Easy.
Dr Martin Huang says
Only real chocolate not cocoa powder can have that real chocolate taste. Love it.
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
You’re right…. nothing beats hot chocolate to warm up after a chilly walk….. and home-made has to be best. So indulgent and so worth the effort! x
Choclette says
I’m sort of feeling that a hot chocolate is very much in order right now 😀
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Oh yes please. You can not beat a cup of steaming hot chocolate on a cold night and made with real chocolate its a drink made in heaven. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Choclette says
Chocolate isn’t called food of the gods for nothing and it’s more true to it’s origins in liquid form too 😉
Sarojini says
Yummy! I have never tried making hot chocolate from a choc bar before, but it just so happens I have a 70% dark chocolate bar in the cupboard, plus some seeds waiting to be made into hemp milk. Guess what my post work snack will be today?!
Choclette says
Cool. Did you make the hemp milk and indulge in a hot chocolate?
Sarojini says
Just seen your reply, sorry for late response…. I never got my hot chocolate that night, as I went out running, tripped on some leaves and split my lip, so the rest of the evening was spent in my local Aand E! I looked like a Hallowe’en mask! But I have indulged since, with a mix of hemp and soya milk, raw. Sugar, 70% dark chocolate and just a touch of molasses….. awesome!
Choclette says
Oh no. How awful. I hope you’ve made a full recovery now. I reckon you need plenty more hot chocolates to make up for it. Think I might need one now – it’s so cold I’m typing this with my coat and scarf on.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I too love to use real chocolate to make hot chocolate drink! So much easier and tastier!
Choclette says
Actually it’s the only hot chocolate I make, although I do also make cocoa with hot water, no sweetener and just a dash of milk. But that’s a completely different type of drink.