Rich Hot Chocolate

Velvety hot chocolate thick enough to coat a spoon is decadent enough to qualify as dessert. This version is so rich and flavorful that you might serve it in the demitasse cups often used for espresso. Consider it a cure for all the unsatisfying experiences you’ve had with thin, bland hot cocoa.

Since this recipe requires a great deal of chopped chocolate, select your favorite bars as they will determine the resulting flavor. A combination of semisweet and milk chocolate lends just the right amount of sweetness, with no additional sugar needed. Before the milk melts all that chocolate, it receives some special treatment in the form of cinnamon sticks and, in my preferred version, dried culinary lavender for just a hint of floral sweetness. The milk mixture is then strained so that the final drink is completely smooth.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups milk
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender buds (optional but oh so tasty)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces milk chocolate

With a chocolate intensity more like a liquid truffle, this rich drink is ideal for sipping as winter scenes unfold outside the window, whether that includes a blanket of snow or passersby wrapped up in their chunky mittens and scarves. Where cinnamon lends warmth to the drink, lavender lends that touch of deliciousness you can’t quite put your finger on. Far from overwhelming, it’s a welcome floral hint in the midst of winter, and perfect for a French style drinking chocolate.  If you’re not sure whether you’d enjoy it, try reducing the amount to ½ teaspoon to start, or omit it altogether, but lavender cinnamon is my favorite flavor of rich hot chocolate.

Begin by adding the milk, cinnamon sticks, and lavender buds, if using, to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the flavors infuse but the milk does not boil.  Meanwhile finely chop the semisweet and milk chocolate and add to a heat-proof bowl.

After ten minutes, strain the milk mixture to remove the cinnamon and lavender. Rinse and dry the pan if there is any residue.  Ladle ⅓ cup warm milk into the bowl with the chocolate and whisk until chocolate is smooth and melted.  Return the rest of the milk and melted chocolate to the pan and whisk over medium-low heat until the hot chocolate has reached your desired consistency.

Serve hot.