So my boss gave me a freakin' big ziplock of mini chocolate chips - he got a giant box from someone else, who yadda yadda yadda, I think there might be a truck it fell off but that's just my head canon - and technically I need more chocolate in the house like the proverbial head-hole. A couple weeks ago I was looking for hot chocolate recipes because I could, and because I am underwhelmed by what passes for hot chocolate in consumable America (technically it's hot cocoa, anyway, but we don't seem to make that distinction as a rule). I haven't had hot chocolate in a Very Long Time. Turns out a decent recipe is disgustingly simple, and today I figured out how to make it portable and doable at work, so long as you have access to very hot water (we have the cafeteria coffee makers with hot water spigots). Hot chocolate for brecky? You bet! So here's the skinny, so I don't forget and so I can pay it forward.
In 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
In 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
- Current Mood:
chipper
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