Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Baby, it's cold outside

I don't need to give you a recipe per se, just a set of loose guidelines for this, best of all winter treats. I want to warn you off, before I do, of anything named Hot Chocolate mix. I don't know what you need that for, mixing up grout paste, maybe, but not for Hot Chocolate.

Off to the cabinet, you go. Rustle around until you find these items:

Hot Chocolate, Loosely

A bar of dark chocolate
A bit of cocoa power
Some milk (whole is always best, that's Rule #1 of being a Blushing Hostess)
A wee bit of cream (heavy or whipping)

Now, get out a saucepan and set it over medium-low heat (never scorch milk fats, Rule #2).
Pour enough milk in to make as many mugs of hot chocolate as you guess you'll need, just eye-ball it (this isn't Bon Appetit's March 2008 Corned Beef, just relax and enjoy it). Throw in two squares of dark chocolate, a tablespoon or two of heavy cream, and a tablespoon of cocoa powder per serving (or mug, as it were). Whisk, or stir until the chocolate is melted, all is incorporated, and a steam rises from the top of the liquid. Do not boil it, don't even simmer.
Pour into mugs, top with my homemade marshmallows (stay tuned), kick back in your fat chair
with your laptop so you can keep reading in comfort.

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