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Pat Greenfield
Wednesday, February 09, 2000 Page: 1C
Chocolate and lovers seem to go together. As Valentine’s Day approaches,
chocolatiers around the world turn out millions, maybe even billions, of
pounds of toothsome confections for gift-giving. The red heart-shaped box, in
countless variations, filled with petite bonbons and truffles, load drugstore
counters everywhere.
But why not take a different tack on giving chocolate this Valentine’s Day?
Create a hot and frothy chocolate drink, enhance it with your favorite
after-dinner liqueur, and present it to your sweetheart in front of a blazing
fireplace next Monday night. Making hot chocolate from the recipe that follows
can be as mundane or a marvelous as you choose. The flavoring mix and base are
prepared, refrigerated and kept handy for a quick cup of chocolate that can be
whipped up in just the time it takes to heat the milk.
Over the past few decades, there has been a glut of commercially produced
syrups or powdered mixes that, for convenience’s sake, are stirred into milk
or (God forbid!) water to produce a thin, indescribable mixture touted to be
hot chocolate. I am now offering you an delicious alternative that is just as
convenient to use as any mix in a foil bag. In just 15 minutes, you can
prepare enough flavor base for 20 cups of silky, satisfying, scrumptious
liquid bonbon. Once you start keeping this mixture on hand, I’m sure you’ll
find many uses for it, and you’ll soon be making it by the double or triple
batches. Follow the basic recipe to create a simple and satisfying cup of hot
chocolate. If you’ve got kids in the house, this is the perfect after-school,
before-homework pick-me-up. For the adult version, follow my suggestions for
variations developed in extensive taste-testing by my staff last Saturday
night. Add any liqueur to create a truly wonderful confection.
If you prefer a nonalcoholic version, use any flavoring extract you might
have in your kitchen, such as vanilla, butter, mint, almond. Or you could add
various syrups, such as juice from a maraschino cherry jar or flavored pancake
sauces. Prepared any of those ways, this hot chocolate makes an ideal dessert
substitute. Presentation is important. Choose a glass mug, a pretty china
teacup or a large, stemmed wine glass to serve your special hot chocolate.
When the mixture is stirred into hot milk, it becomes frothy and fluffy on
top, so you don’t really need to add whipped cream, but a little dollop is a
welcome excess. Dust the top of the chocolate or the whipped cream with a
smidge of powdered cocoa, cinnamon or nutmeg. Try just a bit of ground pepper
for a real adventure.
Hot chocolate
(Adapted from Christmas in the Heartland by Marcia Adams, Clarkson
Potter/Publishers, New York, 1992)
Yield: 20 servings
2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup cold water
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts milk, heated
Cocoa, cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the chocolate and water over medium heat,
and cook until the mixture is dissolved, smooth and thick, whisking out any
lumps. Add the salt and sugar, and continue cooking and whisking for 3 to 4
minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. In a chilled bowl, whip the cream and vanilla together; stir into the
cooled chocolate mixture. Transfer to a covered container and store in the
refrigerator until ready to use.
3. To make the hot chocolate, place a heaping tablespoon, or more to taste,
of the chocolate mixture in each cup (or the equivalent of what you need in a
serving pot). Add 1 cup of hot milk per serving and stir until smooth and
frothy. Top of each serving with a dusting of cocoa, cinnamon or grated fresh
nutmeg. VARIATIONS:
1. To one cup of the prepared hot chocolate mixture, add the following
liqueurs (amounts are approximate; adjust for personal taste): Butterscotch
schnapps: 1/2 ounce. Be careful with this. It will become very sweet if you
add too much, so start with half an ounce and add more if needed. Chambord
(raspberry): 1 ounce. Frangelica (hazelnut): 1 ounce. Galliano (anise): 1
ounce; and White creme de cocoa: 1/2 ounce. White creme de menthe: 1 ounce.
(Top this with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle the cream with some green
creme de menthe for an intriguing presentation.) You can use just amount any
liqueur or brandy. The above are the ones we found most interesting. 2. Add a
heaping tablespoon of the mixture to a cup of freshly brewed coffee, espresso
or cappuccino. 3. For a quick dessert, serve fresh strawberries, raspberries
or sweetened orange slices topped with the hot chocolate base. 4. Use as a
topping for plain pound cake or fill dessert crepes with the mixture, by
itself or combined with more whipped cream or berries. Add some powered sugar
to taste.
Food Columnist Pat Greenfield’s column is published every other Wednesday.
She is owner and/or operator of restaurants in Exeter, Kingston and Plains
Township. Write to her in care of the Arts & Leisure Team, Times Leader, 15 N.
Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0250.