chipperIn some sort of small container (I used a mini glass jelly jar), combine:
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (semisweet, unless you want/can find something else)
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla extract (8 drops, give or take)
generous pinch of salt
(I actually added the vanilla to the sugar and salt to let that sort of soak and combine, then dumped into the chips. I'm going to try drying the vanilla sugar so I can keep the whole concoction as dry as possible for portability, since I had to scrape damp bits out of the jar this morning (oh the horror))
To make the drink, put all the above into a 12 oz drinking cup and add near boiling water to fill (8-10 oz). Stir briskly as the water melts the chocolate. For a little extra richness, add 2 coffee creamers or a hit of whipped cream.
In short, 2 oz by weight of chocolate to 1 cup liquid, plus a scoash of sugar, salt and flavoring . You can use milk instead of water for a richer drink, you can change flavorings (I'm going to try peppermint at some point) you can change chocolate types. The salt really does enhance the flavor, so don't forget it. This worked equally well with 75% dark chocolate. The mini chips just make it so the hot water is sufficient to melt everything; my first attempt was 2 oz dark chocolate carefully softened in the microwave added to a cup of water I also nuked. If you use larger chocolate bits, I would just maybe preheat the chocolate in the microwave for a minute, as hot water may not be sufficient. You can, of course, melt and combine everything on the stove. And there's my contribution to the downfall of everyone's diet :D
