Hot Chocolate – Recipe Marathon – Day 14

Chocolate is soul food for me, chocolate is the most delicious thing on earth. There is no equivalent to the experience of placing a perfectly shiny piece of chocolate on your tongue, letting it melt slowly in your mouth till it goes all around and then chewing it when it becomes too irresistible. I love cooking with chocolate mostly because I end up eating a lot of it neat while chopping.

That said I don’t exactly start my day with hot chocolate – its one of those things I make when I am particularly tired mentally. Every bit of making hot chocolate is invigorating – starting with the aroma of chocolate that is beginning to melt to the whisking of chocolate to a smooth shiny consistency. I like my hot chocolate dark and rich with not too much milk or flavourings.

Ingredients (for one serving of hot chocolate)

• Dark chocolate – 2 ounces (I use 2 1/2 ounces for darker hot chocolate)
• Water – 1/4 cup
• Warm Milk – 1/2 cup (adjust as per taste)
• Honey – 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract or flavouring of choice – 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Chop chocolate with a serrated knife.
2. Warm water in the microwave for 20 seconds on high. Add chopped chocolate, whisk and microwave on high for 1 minute or so. Stir once in between after the first 30 seconds.
3. Whisk the chocolate well till its smooth and shiny. Add honey and vanilla and mix well.
4. Pour into serving cup. Let it cool to lukewarm.
5. Warm slightly, pour warm milk and serve.

Other Recipe Marathoners:

• Ranji –  Vaighanache Upkari with Thambale Pudi
• Swati – Kheema Masala
• Bhags – Asparagi Riso
• Dhivya – Blueberry Vol-au-vents
• Siri –  Tali Hui Bhindi
• Divya – Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Srivalli – Seru Keerai Paruppu, Beetroot Stir Fry and Curd Rice
• Raaga – Raspberry Raisin Ring
• Arundathi – Mushroom Rolls