Angelina Hot Chocolate

How to describe the Angelina Hot Chocolate that I had in Paris.  Let’s see.  Picture the worst breakup you’ve ever had, cured.  Mix that with a little PMS screaming for chocolate relief, managed, and multiply that times the Chocolate Fountain in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Their baby would be this recipe.

Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest.  This hot chocolate is simple.  Decadent.  Divine.  This is the hot chocolate that you should make on Christmas Eve– the quintessential “Hot Cocoa” that even Santa would do a U-turn for. This is the drink from which chocolate dreams are made.  So take a trip to Paris with me . . . and make it today. 🙂

What are we waiting for?  Let’s do this!

Angelina Hot Chocolate

(Based on the glorious hot chocolate I had in Angelina Paris— rumored to be the best hot chocolate in the world.  It certainly has my vote.  😉

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. espresso powder

15 oz. chopped European chocolate (roughly 2 scant cups– I used European chocolate that I brought back from Paris.  It was not overly sweet, and was extremely dark and robust.  If you don’t have European chocolate I recommend a mixture of dark and semi sweet chocolate bars).

Whipped cream for garnishing, optional

Cocoa powder for dusting, optional

Directions:

Mix ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is warm. Do not allow to boil.  Top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder, if desired, and serve immediately.

See how easily you can make heaven in a cup?  Let’s take a look at the process in pictures. 🙂

Men of the world, take note.  When your wife is having a bad day, with tears streaming down her face for whatever reason, make her this.  When you forgot an anniversary, or she is upset and angry, make her this.  When the in-laws are coming over, make her this.  This sublime chocolate bliss cures a multitude of sins.  Real Parisian hot chocolate is perhaps the most simple and singularly delicious thing you will ever try.  And it’s so simple that we will have it steaming merrily in front of us, before you know it! 🙂

Start by whisking your heavy cream, milk, powdered sugar, and espresso powder together in a medium saucepan.  Don’t turn the heat up too high because we don’t want our milk to scald.  You just want to get the milk nice and warm– not boiling. Adding espresso powder is a divine little trick that brings out the chocolate flavor unbelievably, without making the drink taste like coffee, at all.  Think of espresso powder like mascara– it doesn’t change what’s there– just beautifully enhances it.  🙂

When your milk mixture steams slightly when you whisk, it’s ready.  Turn down the heat a little bit and add in the chopped chocolate, whisking slightly until the chocolate melts into chocolate bliss and delirium in the cream.  Use a spoon to taste test as much as you want . . . er, I mean, skim the foam off the top. (*ahem*)  See the pen in my hand?  I was tasting and adding a bit of this and that . . . writing notes as I went.  It’s all in the name of science, I swear!  *tastes again*

A word about what chocolate you use (why yes.  This recipe is super simple and I’m babbling so that this isn’t a blank blog post. You’re welcome).  The chocolate Angelina uses (and the chocolate I brought back with me from Paris and used) is European chocolate.  It is similar to dark chocolate– a little goes a long way.  It is not overly sweet, and it has a very rich, robust, dark flavor.  You can tweak this recipe to match your tastes.  If you prefer sweeter chocolate, up the powdered sugar and use a mixture of dark and milk chocolates.  If you need more flavor, add more chocolate, tasting as you go.  “Add more chocolate to fix it.”  I think that needs to be my mantra.

You never want to boil this mixture– just get it nice and slightly steamy warm.  When the chocolate bars are completely melted, go ahead and whisk one more time for good measure, turn off the heat, and ladle this divine concoction into mugs.

Give yourself a little swirl of real whipped cream.  Dust with cocoa powder or nutmeg, if you prefer.  Oh my goodness isn’t that pretty?

Get yourself some croissants and spend a nice, leisurely morning sipping this divine chocolate bliss that you just created.

Picture accordion music.  Imagine you are sipping divine hot chocolate from Angelina, gazing out at the Eiffel Tower.  Close your eyes and mentally visit the City of Lights.

J’aime Paris pour toujours.  Paris, I love you forever.

You did it. And I’m just so proud of you.

 

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