Pure Cocoa Hot Chocolate

Sweet, bitter or white, hot chocolate is the ultimate hug in a mug. It is warm, luxurious and, most importantly, contains a rather popular stimulant about which you may or may not have heard. Personally, a rich and bitter hot chocolate appeals to my inner desires, so for this recipe pure (100%) cocoa paste seemed in order. Though the recipe includes both milk and sugar – two of three fundamental parts of milk chocolate – pure cocoa helps lift this rendition above the attempts of most cafés. Indeed, insipidity reigns supreme in the world of hot chocolate – time to turn things around.

Cocoa solid was first used as far back as c.1100 BC. However, it is believed to have come into widespread use around a millennium later at which time it came to form an important part of Mayan spiritual events – both as an offering and as a drink. It was not until the Nineteenth Century that the process of emulsification was unearthed and chocolate became solid, signifying the invention of the modern day chocolate bar. Of course, this recipe is about as authentic as fake tan – sugar and milk were ingredients unknown to the Ancient Mesoamericans – but it’s still gratifying to return in some way to the bitter roots of drinking chocolate.

Local connection: It can be a little tricky to find 100% cocoa paste, but root around in local delis and I’m sure you’ll stumble across it sooner rather than later. Indeed, I picked mine up from Arch House Deli in Clifton, Bristol – one of my favourite establishments, anywhere. However, if you really can’t find any pure cocoa, 100g of 70-80% chocolate should yield similar results.

Pure Cocoa Hot Chocolate {recipe}

Makes 2

Ingredients:

• 450ml whole milk

• 70g cocoa paste (100%)

• 15g salted butter

• A pinch of salt

• 1-2 tsp light muscovado sugar

Method:

1. Heat half the milk gently in a pan, bring to a simmer. Grate in the chocolate and stir along with the butter and salt. Tip in the remaining milk and bring back to a simmer. It’ll be very bitter at this point so add 1-2 tsp of sugar to taste. Whisk it to a froth and serve immediately.

Cost: 100% cocoa paste is pretty expensive – my lump of 160g cost around £3.50. However, it goes so far that this really isn’t particularly problematic. A chunk of that size is enough for 4-5 hot chocolates. Two of these little delights should set one back no more than £2.20 – the price of one hot chocolate from a café!