Thick, creamy and chocolatey of course rhymes with hot chocolate, but do you really know how to make real homemade hot chocolate? Whether it’s old-fashioned, Italian, powder or tablet, we give you all the tips to make it a success for sure!
Delicacy par excellence, hot chocolate leaves no one indifferent, whether you are young or old. To succeed as it should, you have to make sure you choose the right chocolate, the right milk and above all follow certain steps for a perfect homemade chocolate!
Which chocolate should I choose for my hot chocolate?
To choose your chocolate, you must obviously respect your own tastes. Dark, milk, white or other chocolate will be just as suitable, only the texture and intensity of the cocoa will be modified. As for the shape of the cocoa, you have two options:
- Chocolate bar: it is easier to dose thanks to the squares of chocolate, and much smoother thanks to the butter present in the bar.
- Cocoa powder: it dissolves more easily in milk or water. Be sure to use cocoa made from real cocoa and not cocoa powder. You can also break your chocolate bar and reduce it to powder, it’s just as effective!
Heat the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil
It’s true that when we think of hot chocolate, we also think of milk, but water is just as good! Admittedly, a water chocolate is not as creamy and thick as a milk-based chocolate, but it will be much lower in calories and easier to digest. Another solution: divide the quantity to obtain a mixture of half milk (in liquid or powder) and half water. In all cases, the preparation technique remains the same:
- Add water, milk, or both to a saucepan
- Stir constantly until boiling
- Remove from heat
Add the chocolate off the heat to make it smooth
Once your pot of milk or water is off the heat, it’s time to get to the chocolate! Add your squares or powder to the preparation and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted . If this step takes time (especially with the chocolate in pieces), put the pan back on the heat for a few minutes.
Sprinkle with spices for a fragrant hot chocolate
The little touch that will make all the difference to your chocolate: spices ! They are optional and according to your preferences.
- Cinnamon and vanilla for a sweet hot chocolate
- Pepper, anise, star anise and cloves for a spicy and spicy chocolate
- Ginger and cardamom for a tangy hot chocolate
What about lactose intolerant?
Lactose intolerant people know the difficulty of enjoying hot chocolate without having a stomach ache . Fortunately, many alternatives are possible, and just as delicious:
- Vegetable drinks made from nuts: almond, hazelnut, chestnut . The sweet taste present in these drinks will perfectly enhance your homemade hot chocolate.
- Vegetable drinks from plants: oats, spelled, hemp, millet, soy. These drinks are more neutral than the others and will hardly change the taste of your hot chocolate.
- Vegetable drinks from fruits and flowers: vanilla , coconut. Delicious to taste but sometimes difficult to associate with other foods. Their pronounced taste will change the taste of your chocolate, some will love it, others a little less… The choice is yours!
- Water: the less water you add, the stronger your hot chocolate will be.
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