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These past two weeks, I’ve been wanting to write about apple pie. I used to bake good apple pie – learned from my Mom, who learned from Grandma. Rich, sweet fruit spilling out of a flaky crust…I had it down pat. Thought I still did, although I haven’t baked a pie in while.
Well, if you don’t use it, you lose it. I had no less than three apple pie disasters in the past two weeks. I was demoralized.
These were times for desperate measure. Times when the only thing to do was square the shoulders, starch the upper lip, and make myself some hot chocolate.
So that’s what I did. I like it very strong, almost bitter, and dark. Spiced with cinnamon and enough chili flakes to burn the back of the throat a little, and smoothed out with vanilla. Brandy is nice but not essential. A floating island of whipped cream on top – if I’m really feeling self-indulgent. Tonight I had only 10% cream, which doesn’t whip up but still adds depth and richness. I added a couple of tablespoons to each cup.
It seems like a lot of trouble for a cup of hot chocolate. But part of the charm is in the ritual of carefully preparing the most delicious cuppa for yourself and one other lucky person. It’s like saying, “Here, take a little sweetness and fire for yourself.”
Hot Chocolate Morale Restorer
serves two
Ingredients:
2 cups – 1/2 liter milk
2 oz. – 50 grams – half a bar – of bittersweet chocolate, broken into chunks or grated
a pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick of cinnamon or 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
chili flakes
1 teaspoon cocoa extra
Optional: a shlook (Yiddish for dollop) of brandy. Whipped cream.
Method:
1. Mix the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and cornstarch together in a small pan.
2. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over the dry mixture and stir till everything is dissolved and you have a smooth paste. (You can skip this step and just add the dry stuff to the hot milk in the next step, but there will be cocoa lumps.)
2. Put the milk, cinnamon stick, and vanilla into a pot you can pour out of.
2. Slowly heat the milk up. When you judge it to be hot – not simmering or boiling, just hot – add the 2 oz chocolate. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add the sugar/cocoa paste to the milk.
4. Keep stirring. When a ring of bubbles forms around the edges of the milk, turn the heat off. Remove the cinnamon stick.
5. Pour the chocolate into two cups.
6. Shake as much chili as you like onto the surface of the hot chocolate. Anywhere from just a few flakes to a lot. I like a lot.
7. Stir a tablespoon of brandy into the chocolate, if you want.
Whipped cream is decadent and pampering, but not crucial.
With or without brandy or whipped cream, shake a little dry cocoa into each cup.
Sit down, sip, and feel strong, like an Aztec warrior.
The Aztecs should have had it so good.
loved the post, made me smile after a long day with the kids, excuse me while I make myself a cuppa cocoa, like an Aztec warrier (priceless!)
oooh.. sounds like such a good thing.. now I need to go buy whip cream..
Loved this post. Too bad I had chicken for supper.
This looks divine. I will have to try it.
I have a no fail apple crisp I make for shabbat. My Israeli guests last week were absolutely fascinated with it. They couldn’t get enough of it and couldn’t figure out what it was.
But there’s nothing like good, flaky apple pie. As a teenager I used to cheat with Orinoque frozen crusts. But I made a great filling.
Your hot cocoa looks and sounds absolutely sinful!
And good luck next time with your apple pie…
Shabat Shalom Mimi.
Yaelian,
True, it is sinful. Very sinful. But so good.
And Shabbat Shalom to you too!
Abbi,
The weather finally turned cold again, so hot choco in the evening is even better.
My pie fillings were fine – the crusts came out awful. It kind of shocked me; I’m used to confidently turning out good pie. Guess I needed to learn a new kind: humble pie
.
Sarah,
Hope your choco was good! Hot chocolate does the same trick as a glass of wine – only thing is, you can’t drink as much of it.
Ita, D
Did you get the whipping cream?
Hannah,
Hot choco is a nice thing to make lots of, then go around the house putting a cup into each one’s hands. Makes them remember that they love you!
(considering…) Well, chicken does too. Make them remember, that is, not love you.
But the surprise of a sudden cup of hot chocolate is more dramatic.
love your hot chocolate – seems like a great way to cook and comfort when other baking doesn’t go your way – hope you resurrect your apple pie recipe
Thanks, Johanna! I’m baking pie today, paying utmost attention as I work. I love pie, darnit.
Yummy! Just the thing for a chilly day!
Yes, or chilly evening, even better.
MMMMMMMMM,….this hot chocolate looks fab so damn tasty too!
Its stormy and flooding here today so I think I’ll stay inside and make Apple pie , have Hot Chocolate and watch Musicals with my small daughters . That Chocolate recipe looks perfect for today. I like the addition of cornstarch to thicken it. Thanks