Fancy Hot Cocoa: A Holiday Feast

About author / Rebecca Michaels

Queen of the desserts and pastry chef extraordinaire; graduate French Culinary Institute; Golden Scoop Award winner; Flying Monkey Bakery founder

Loyal readers of The Sweet Lowdown know that I'm not a huge chocolate fan. I've tried to extol the virtues of many other delicious dessert flavors in my column, but for some strange reason, it keeps coming back to chocolate. Sigh! The life of a pastry chef is sometimes so very dull. But this week I would like to talk about hot chocolate. It's not just for little Swiss girls anymore, it doesn't have to come out of a packet for a few perfunctory spins around the microwave, and it definitely doesn't have to be 100% chocolate-only flavored. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

Hot chocolate really is a lovely invention. Brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors, it was considered quite a luxurious and expensive drink. These days one can get hot chocolate in press-a-button vending machines or at your local all-night convenience store. But I think hot chocolate, or 'hot cocoa' as some of you prefer to call it, can be a treat that is not only special, but slightly grown-up as well.

My recipe for hot chocolate doesn't include cocoa powder at all. I like to use real chocolate; I prefer the only slight sweetness that pure chocolate gives rather than fussing with cocoa and sugar proportions. The consistency of the drink is also smoother. So, here is the basic recipe to start with: two parts milk to two parts cream (or 1/2 & 1/2 if you're kinda watching your waistline) to one part chocolate. From there, the possibilities are nearly endless.

Chop your chocolate very fine, or if you have chips, throw them in a bowl while you bring your milk and cream to a boil. Pour over the chocolate, whisk until smooth and incorporated and strain through a fine sieve. There you go! Simple, right?

OK, now for some tweaking. First and foremost, you can use any variety of chocolate: semisweet, bittersweet, milk (but I would mix this with some dark chocolate to give it a little heft) or even white chocolate.

Now let's talk about flavoring your fine cocoa. Toss some orange peels into the cream when you heat them up. Let them sit for a little bit if you'd like a touch more orange taste. It will really be more like a soft orange scent; if you'd like it a little heavier, then add a drop or two of orange oil. Spice it up with any combination of the following: vanilla bean, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, nutmeg and cloves (go very easy on the last two). Add those to your cream when you boil. And do make sure you run the finished liquid through the strainer--twice if you have to. You don't want little bits of spice in your teeth when you're about to be kissed under the mistletoe.

To make a lovely party drink, add a couple of shots of your favorite brandy to your strained cocoa. Grand Marnier and Chambord are also nice additions.

This drink is very, very rich, so I suggest serving it in demitasse cups or heatproof double shot glasses. Put a cinnamon stick in the glass and use it as a straw. Float a star anise on top or give a light sprinkle of nutmeg. You can even float one of those round red and white striped peppermint candies on it. How retro! And of course, feel free to add some loosely whipped cream or some marshmallows to the drink. You will be the talk of the holiday season with this wonderful and easy addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving menu--or just a quiet evening in front of the fire.