Making Hot Chocolate

Last night I had a dream of Liz Hurley wanting to teach me how to make something called “Lava Butter”. I have no idea what that is, why I had said dream, or why that specific celebrity was in it, but the dream didn’t end well; she turned into this fat dude who turned out to be a crook who chased me out into free-falling off a plane.

I woke up feeling disoriented and realizing that it’s Valentine’s day. And I know I haven’t posted anything leading up to today, so I made the one thing that anyone can do in an urgent need for decadence - hot chocolate. Thick, rich, Polar Express inspired hot chocolate, to be exact. Perfect if you’re staying in during the nippy winter night.

Happy Valentine’s day to my readers, and I’ll leave you with an excerpt of Shakespeare’s sonnet for the lovebirds out there:

” Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds,

It is an ever fixed mark, that looks on tempest and is never shaken;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

but bears it out, even to the edge of doom. “

- William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116.

HOT CHOCOLATE (adapted from Honey+Fitz):

[ 2 cups milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup condensed milk + 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar + 1/8 cup milk chocolate chips or bar + 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract + 1/4 teaspoon salt ] OPTIONAL: Marshmallow or whipped cream + chocolate shavings for topping.

Put all the ingredients except for the topping in a large pot over low heat, stirring regularly for 15-20 minutes until chocolate is fully melted and incorporated with other ingredients. 

If not smooth enough, you can run it through a sieve before storing it inside a thermos before serving.

Top with whipped cream or marshmallow and chocolate shavings before serving.

Enjoy!

Cocoa for Karina

I’ve long promised Karina that I’ll send her a package but never got around or had the chance to do it. I finally got the time to do it recently, and in the midst of excitement, I made the wrong assumption that it was winter in Melbourne (because it’s winter in Qatar). Then I realized she’s in the southern hemisphere and it’s blazing hot summer there. But I’ve already made this little mix and will send it her way anyways, for whenever she feels like having a cuppa :)

Mocha Cocoa Mix in a Jar (Makes 6 servings):

Layer (in a jar): [1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder + 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup espresso powder, 1/2 cup powdered milk + 1/2 teaspoon salt + and 1/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or miniature chocolate chips]

 

To serve:

Mix contents in a large bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup boiling water. Store remaining mix in airtight container.”

Enjoy!