I drove upstate early on Tuesday morning. Halfway up, the road curves to the left to avoid cutting a beautiful meadow bisected by a dashing brook. On the far eastern side, there is a sharp rise of hills, part of a large state park. In the early morning those hills hid the sun from half the meadow. That shadowy half was silvery white with frost. The sun had already melted the frost on the other side of the brook. It was one of those “I should have a camera in the car” moments.
I grew up in Oregon where the frost was special. It’s humid there and that translates to very thick frost on the grass on chilly fall mornings. I remember running for the school bus and hearing the frosted grass crackle with my footsteps. You could stop, look back, and see your footsteps sculpted into the ground.
These days I don’t run for the bus, but I still have fondness for the frost. And a bit of a pang, too. It’s the final proof that summer is gone. Suzen and I rotate cookbooks, just like clothes, as the seasons change. Summer books go downstairs and the hardier winter ones come up. That means Lemonade by Fred Thompson goes away.
I used to regret that, but no more. Lemonade is a great book, offering summer treats that I relish. Just this week I discovered another Thompson book: Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort. Published in 2006, this book lurks on bookstore shelves. Find it. Buy it. Hot Chocolate will keep me happy until the grass needs its first spring mowing.
This is a book about hot chocolate, not cocoa. Thompson explains the difference and is magnanimous: cocoa is fine, hot chocolate is different. Thompson prefers hot chocolate, and so will you.
Opening with some chocolate and drinking history, Thompson describes the options for how to make hot chocolate. Whether to use bitter, bittersweet, semi, sweet dark, milk or Mexican. You can mix and match all of these, Fred notes, except for that Mexican with its spices. For liquids, you can use milk, heavy cream, or water. For the purest hit of intense chocolate flavor, Thompson says water is the preferred liquid. I tried it, had my caffeine smack, and kept testing: too stark for me.
This recipe’s title, Rich Gourmet Hot Chocolate, says it all. It is high end rich. And the method of making it with whisking at every stage generates a viscous beverage. It feels like you are almost drinking ganache. Nothing wrong with that.
This recipe suggests using a double boiler. I did it all with the microwave. Either way you will find this beverage to be rich, satisfying, and definitely chocolate.
Rich Gourmet Hot Chocolate
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Marshmallow or sweetened whipped cream for garnish, if desired.
Preparation:
In a double boiler over low heat, combine the chocolate and water. Raise the heat to medium and whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Add the sugar and whisk to dissolve.
Warm the cream in a microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. Slowly whisk the warm cream into the chocolate mixture and continue whisking until smooth and creamy.
Pour the hot chocolate into a cup and top with a marshmallow or whipped cream, if desired.
Source: Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort by Fred Thompson