Hot chocolate. I am an addict. For me, an appropriate 12-step program would be how to combine 12 types of chocolate while making my hot chocolate. There are other ingredients, of course, like sugar. You cannot make hot chocolate without sugar. It’s not possible.
Actually, it is. From the website delish.com, here is a recipe for hot chocolate from Bouchon Bakery. Located in New York City in the Time Warner Center on the food floor, Bouchon Bakery is a sort of heaven. If you were a bank robber, and could just saunter into an open vault filled with money — nice, new crisp bills — well, you’d be thrilled. Stand in line at Bouchon and look at the perfectly executed pastries and cookies, and the thrill is there. Every item is flawless. It’s Paris at Columbus Circle.
And then there’s this hot chocolate recipe. No sugar. Instead, crushed and toasted coriander seeds along with a cinnamon stick. I must say, I looked at this recipe, pondered these ingredients and the technique, and just had to wonder: how could this taste like hot chocolate.
Well, it does, deliciously. You don’t miss the sugar at all! The coriander flavor is muted. There are cinnamon overtones that just give you an aromatic quality without conflicting with the chocolate. This is a very different style of hot chocolate but one you should try. You are sure to enjoy it.
Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I did serve it with whipped cream that had sugar but that’s just Step 7 of my current program. If I didn’t do it, my sponsor would have been all over me.
Bouchon Bakery Hot Chocolate
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 8 ½ ounces whole milk
- 1 ounce heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ vanilla bean
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 1 ½ ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ½ ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
Preparation:
Place the chopped chocolates into a metal bowl with room to eventually add the milk and to be able to stir.
Place the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
Smash the coriander seeds and toast with the cinnamon stick in a hot pan until fragrant. Add these spices to the hot milk and allow to steep for 2 minutes.
Scrape the vanilla bean and add to the milk mixture. Stir in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.
Strain the milk mixture over the chopped chocolate. Whisk well until the chocolate is melted. Strain one more time and serve.
Source: Adapted from delish.com