My Ultimate Hot chocolate.

Now we have all had the powdered hot chocolate that you get, just add boiling water to it and of you go. But that is nothing to a popper real hot chocolate, made with real chocolate. The thing is is you are going to make anything like this then you want to make sure that you go over the top and when I say over the top I man over the top, full fat not holes bared hot chocolate. After all if you are going to do this you may as well do it right.

You will need.

1 vanilla pod,
1 cinnamon stick
½ litre/1 pint of double cream
½ litre/1 pint full fat milk
150g/5½oz plain chocolate
A dash of rum
Sugar, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
A little fine grated chocolate.
Some whipped cream

Now to do this you want the very best high coco solid 70% plus chocolate if you can get it, otherwise it’s not worth the bother. Take the vanilla pod split it and scrape out the seed and place them in a sauce pan along with the cinnamon stick a little grated nutmeg and the double cream. Bring this slowly to the boil and then just simmer for about 5 minutes . What you want to do is infuse all the flavours in to the cream.

Then break the chocolate up and place in to a bowl, add the rum and pass the cream through a sieve over the cream. Then using a whisk work the cram in to the chocolate. It will look all wrong at first but as you work it you will see that it goes nice and think, then cover and let this just sit to one side and cool down.  Now you can keep this in the fridges if you want and make it at any time , or just make chocolate truffles if you want.

Finally when you are ready to make your hot chocolate heat up your milk and add the chocolate mix whisking all the time so the chocolate mixes in. Add sugar if you like.

Finally one it had come to the boil and the chocolate is full incorporated in to the drink pour in to some mugs or glasses, top with whippet cream and a little grated chocolate.

And that is how to make real hot chocolate , just do not have it every day.