Hot Chocolate
Cocoa and hot chocolate are two different drinks. Cocoa is powder suspended in milk, light and easy to drink by the mugful. Hot chocolate is a melted bar, and its body comes from cocoa butter rather than starch. It thickens on its own, which is why the cups are small.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
With 55% chocolate skip the sugar entirely. With 85% add another spoon and a little more milk, or the drink turns harsh.
Makes: 500 ml, 4 small cups
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Chop the chocolate
Cut the bar into small, even pieces with a knife — the finer it is, the more evenly it melts. Big chunks scorch underneath while the top is still solid.
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Step 2: Heat milk and cream
Bring the milk, cream, sugar and salt to the point where steam rises and bubbles form at the edge, roughly 80 °C.
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Step 3: Pour on a third
Pour a third of the hot liquid over the chocolate in a bowl, wait a minute, then stir from the centre in small circles until a glossy core appears.
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Step 4: Add the rest in stages
Add the remaining liquid in two goes, stirring smooth each time. This is what binds fat and liquid into a stable emulsion instead of letting them split.
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Step 5: Back on the heat
Warm for 2–3 minutes over low heat, stirring without stopping, until it thickens and coats the spatula. Never boil it: the cocoa butter breaks out in beads on the surface.
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Step 6: Blitz it
Ten seconds with a stick blender turns the texture velvety, with no grain at all. Pour into warmed little cups.
Tips & variations
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Tip
A serving really is small, 120–130 ml. This is dense stuff and a full mug is more than anyone finishes.
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Swap
With 55% chocolate skip the sugar entirely. With 85% add another spoon and a little more milk, or the drink turns harsh.
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Variation
For the Spanish version served with churros, cut the milk to 300 ml and whisk 1 tsp cornflour into the cold milk before heating. The spoon will stand up in it.
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Storage
Keeps 2 days in the fridge and sets almost to ganache. Reheat gently with a spoonful of milk.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 330 kcal | 1,320 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 24 g |
| Fat | 22 g | 88 g |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g | 104 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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