December 12, 2009

Making Angelina's Hot Chocolate

If you have been to Angelina's in Paris you know that the hot chocolate (drinking chocolate) is really thick. If you happened to pick up some of their hot chocolate mix to make at home you may have been disappointed when you made a batch and the hot chocolate turned out really thin. Fear not, it is only a question of technique when it comes to preparation. This lesson will show you how to make thick, delectable Angelina's hot chocolate.

Weigh The Chocolate Mix

You need 2.5 ounces (70 grams or ~2/3 cup) of chocolate mix per serving.

Measure Water

The english directions on the package call for 7.5 fluid ounces of water per serving. The french directions call for 13 centiliters (~4.5 fluid ounces). No good can come from following the english directions. Use 4.5 ounces.

Boil the Water

Bring the water to a boil on high heat.

Add Chocolate Mix Off-Heat

Take the pot off of the heat and pour in the chocolate mix. Turn the heat down to just below medium. Mix the chocolate into the water and then put the pot back on the heat. If, like me (yes, you may pity me), you are using an electric burner you may want to let it cool down a bit. Nobody likes to scorch their chocolate.

Note Consistency

At this point the hot chocolate has a thin consistency.

Done

But after you bring it to a simmer for a few seconds it will thicken up.

Enjoy

You now have a thick, yummy drinking chocolate. Angelina's serves their hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream which ends up diluting the chocolate a bit when you stir it in. If you don't have any whipped cream on hand just stir in some milk.

I always eat a pain au chocolate when I go to Angelina's as I'm looking to get as much chocolate into my body as possible. The chocolate in a pain au chocolate has the added benefit of being surrounded by rich, buttery pastry. If you want to make these at home I highly recommend the Cooks Illustrated recipe from December 2006. Absolutely delicious!