How to Make the Best Hot Chocolate in 2023. Real Gourmet Hot Chocolate the Way It Is Made in France.

How to Make the Best Hot Chocolate in 2023. Real Gourmet Hot Chocolate the Way it is Made in France.

Gourmet Hot Chocolate
The Way it is Made in France

There’s nothing like a nice cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter morning. I can remember as a kid ripping open that packet of Swiss Miss instant hot cocoa and adding hot water. For years, that we the benchmark of what I thought a good hot chocolate was. I even served it to my kids when they were growing up.

But then, we went to France. In January, my son Harrison and I were on vacation in Paris for the new year and he told me about a famous café near the Eiffel Tower named Carette.

Carette is known for their sandwiches, their classic French pastries, and their creative macaroons, but after going viral on social media for their French made hot chocolate, we were compelled to give this elegant little Parisian café a try.

Our hot chocolate was served in a pot with a cup of heavy whipped cream and a cookie. It was thick and creamy, and all it took was one sip to realize what all the buzz was about. Now that we’ve had the real thing, we’ll never use instant again.

So tonight, we’re making hot chocolate, the way it’s made in France.

Its going to be delicious! So, stick around and we’ll show you how we make it.

Hot chocolate. If you want to put a smile on a person’s face, this warm rich drink will do the trick. We’re taking dark chocolate and adding it to whole milk heated on top of a stove with a few drops of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and salt, and we’re serving it by the fireplace on a cold night. Here’s how they make gourmet hot chocolate at the cafes in France.

Our mise en place for tonight’s treat is:

4 oz of Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)

16 Oz of Whole Milk

A Pinch each of Cinnamon and Nutmeg

A Pinch each of Sugar and Salt

A Few Drops of Vanilla

1 Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder

We’ll use a small pot with a spout, a whisk, and a tablespoon.

Our first step is to heat the milk. Since milk can scorch easily, we’re using a modified double boiler method. Put the pot on top of a pan with water in it and turn the heat to medium. 

Pour the milk into a small pot on medium heat. 

Stir the milk as it starts to heat up. As the milk reaches a simmer, lower the heat. Next we’ll add in the add in the cinnamon and nutmeg, the vanilla, and give it a stir.  The cocoa powder is next. For some people who like hot cocoa, this is all the chocolate that they put in, but we have a few more ingredients to make our hot chocolate gourmet.  Whisk the cocoa into the milk.

Now we’ll add the sugar, and the secret ingredient, the salt. Yes a little salt actually helps to bring out the flavor of the chocolate.

And finally we’ll add in the chocolate.  Add the chocolate into the warm milk and begin to stir it in.  If you like your hot chocolate thin, then you can turn the heat off now as the chocolate is stirred in.  If you like your hot chocolate a little thicker, then leave the heat on to reduce the milk a bit more.  Adding chocolate to the milk is what makes this dessert drink rich and creamy. 

And there it is ! Gourmet hot chocolate, the way they make it in France.  Dark chocolate added to warm milk, with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, salt, and a few drops of vanilla. You’ll never want instant hot chocolate again after you make this rich and creamy French style treat.

It was delicious!

Until next time,

Bon Appetit.

Ciao,

Mark