Everyday Hot Chocolate
and a few other things to make in November
When we moved to cold weather climates, I fully embraced warm afternoon beverages. A few years ago, I discovered that living in Minnesota in January, you need little cozy things to look forward to. For me, being eight months pregnant at the time, coming in from a sub-zero jaunt around the block with Tahini, that was hot chocolate. I was an equal opportunity consumer, some afternoons making batches of homemade hot chocolate or Martin’s Abuela’s avena and other times, shaking a bag of Trader Joe’s hot chocolate mix into a mug and adding hot water.
Last December, every time we went into the city we made a point to find a new spot to get hot chocolate looking for my favorite in the city. Some were thick and rich, almost pudding-like in consistency, others were lighter and less chocolate-y. One of my very favorites was found at the Hungarian Pastry Shop in Morningside Heights. It’s a small cafe with weekend lines snaking down the block, and tables smushed so close together you’re certain to bump your neighbor trying to take your coat off. Extra cozy. The hot chocolate comes in ceramic diner mugs, unsweetened, with bowls of whipped cream to dollop on top. Creamy, rich, and not too sweet, it’s my ideal cup of cocoa and I’ve been itching to create something similar at home.
Here’s a little recipe for a ganache-like chocolate concentrate that can either be stirred into mugs of hot milk to make individual servings or simmered stove top in larger batches. I left it unsweetened because it’s my preference and because I have a toddler who does not need large cups of fully-sugared hot chocolate on a regular basis, but you could easily add a few tablespoons of sugar if you’d like it sweetened. It’s not too rich which means it’s great for enjoying on a semi-regular basis all winter long. (Don’t worry, I’m not actually making hot chocolate every afternoon—there are also mugs of warm chai and herbal teas tossed in for balance.)
everyday hot chocolate
makes three 8 oz mugs
Ingredients:
3 tbsp (21 g) cocoa powder
2 oz (60 g) chopped dark chocolate
2/3 cup (145 g) heavy cream
pinch of salt
*8 oz of milk for each serving
Procedure:
In a small saucepan, stir together cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, cream, and salt. Heat over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and homogenized with a thick, ganache-like consistency.
For individual mugs: Add 1 tbsp of the hot chocolate concentrate for every 2 oz of warm milk. Whisk until smooth. Store any leftover concentrate in the refrigerator for up to a week and re-heat back to that ganache-like consistency before using at a later time.
For a bigger batch: Slowly stream 3 cups (24 oz) of milk into the concentrate, whisking continually until smooth and bring to a low simmer. Divide hot chocolate between mugs and serve immediately.
and a few other cozy November recipes:
Abuela's Avena
I have quite a few cookbooks donning the shelves of my home, but there are three that I hold a little bit closer than the others. One is a hot pink binder filled with at least 100 recipes close to our family’s heart. My mom’s mom culled and organized some of our favorites like the
Flourless Pumpkin Torte
I spend far too much of my time each year trying to develop Thanksgiving recipes that toe the line between traditional and innovative. I want my Thanksgiving table to feel familiar, but the idea of eating the exact same things made the exact same way year after year doesn’t excite me in the least.
Red Wine Ganache Brownies
I have two Aunt Karen’s. Both my mom and my dad have sisters named Karen, and it is clear that I inherited my love of wine from them. My dad’s sister Karen took me to France, where we celebrated our shared birthday in a vineyard, and my mom’s sister Karen introduced me to monthly wine deliveries through wine clubs. The moment I enter either of their hou…