Hot Hot Chocolate

A post on hot chocolate is entirely out of sync with the spring season, but I had just received a shipment of Belgian chocolate from The Chocolate Trading Company that included an enormous bag (2.5kg) of dark chocolate curls. Much of it will be used for baking and cooking, but at the bottom of the bag were the crushed curls – chips and bits. They reminded me of the chilli drinking chocolate my son loves, made by a small company with the fantastic name of The Chocolate Alchemist. Since I can no longer find this chocolate in the market nor find any trace of this company on the Internet, I suspect it is no longer in business. And, because those bits were there at the bottom of the bag, I thought I would have a go at replicating that chilli drinking chocolate.

There are still some chilly evenings to get through – if you can excuse the unintentional pun. And if the weather is like last year, you can never discount the possibility of a late snow. I’m making excuses, I know, simply to indulge in a rich cup of hot chocolate!

Hot Chilli Drinking Chocolate

• 16 oz. (1 lb.) dark chocolate curls, crushed
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Crush the chocolate bits in a large mixing bowl. This is best done in a cool environment since you do not want to melt the chocolate. Measure out the cocoa and cayenne pepper. Mix these together in a small bowl before adding to the crushed chocolate bits.

Once the chilli cocoa has been added to the chocolate bits, using your hands, quickly mix and further crush the chocolate. You may wish to wear clean rubber gloves since the cocoa will make a mess of your hands. When you are finished mixing/crushing, the chilli cocoa powder will have coated the chocolate bits.

Store in an air tight container in a cool place.

To make the the actual hot chocolate drink:
The following measurements are for one extra-large mug. For more mugs, simply multiply as required. The drink has a slight bite to it from the cayenne pepper – refreshingly different from the overly sweet versions.

• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 3 Tablespoons chilli drinking chocolate

In a saucepan, warm the milk on low heat. When the milk has warmed, add the appropriate amount of chocolate to the pot. Stir until it melts. Continue cooking for another minute or two. Do not let it boil. Top with marshmallows or a dollop of whipped cream.