My First Hot Chocolate Recipe - Chocolat de la Genèse

I am reluctant to refer to this recipe as my magnum opus as I have only lived for a mere twenty years. Fate, I hope, holds for me greater things still to come. What I will say, then, is that upon its creation, this recipe was my proudest achievement.

Let us begin with the ingredients - the simple part. Trust that this hot chocolate’s baroque nature shall reveal itself further down the page.

  • 45 g (1.5 oz) dark chocolate

  • 125 mL (½ cup) whole milk

  • Pinch of cardamom

  • Pinch of orange zest

  • Pinch of lemon zest

  • Pinch of cinnamon

  • 2.5 g (1 tsp) Dutch cocoa powder

  • Sugar, to taste (I typically add about 5 grams, or ½ tbsp)

  • 1 g (¼ tsp) vanilla extract

At the age of fifteen, I vowed to myself that I’d rather die alone than settle for less than what all ladies are rightfully deserving of. Men and chocolate may be viewed through the same philosophical lens in certain instances, and this is one of them. I implore you to use a decent chocolate. It does make a difference. Most often, I use Lindt, so it needn’t be extravagant. As with men, we are not searching for a specimen dripping in Yves St. Laurent. Rather, one need only show that they put in a degree of effort.

Now onto the spectacle. Here is the equipment you’ll need:

  • Sieve

  • Food thermometer

  • Double boiler

  • Whisk

  • Some sort of pouring apparatus (like a small pitcher)

  • Cheesecloth

Realistically, my dear reader, I do not expect you to ready your horses to buy cheesecloth. This equipment list can be simplified to a small pot and a sieve for convenience’s sake. Still, I find the complex far more enthralling than the simple. 

It is out of simple ingredients that the complex masterpieces arise. Behold my methodology:

  1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and set aside.

  2. Add all the ingredients, aside from the chocolate and vanilla extract, to the top pan of the double boiler. Whisk until all the ingredients are smoothly incorporated.

  3. Set the stove to medium heat and fill the bottom pot with water until it is about 5 centimeters (2 inches) full. Add the top pot, and begin to slowly heat the mixture, whisking continuously.

  4. When the milk reaches 45°C (113°F), add the chocolate. Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir until the chocolate is fully mixed. Return the double boiler to the stove and heat until the hot chocolate reaches 60°C (140°F).

  5. Pour the hot chocolate through the sieve and into the pitcher. Stir in the vanilla extract.

  6. Filter the hot chocolate through the cheesecloth and into your serving mug. 

The final step is undoubtedly the most difficult. Do not ask how many countertops I have sullied in attempting to double filter the nectar of the gods. In attempting to minimize the risk of spill, I have found that it is effective to place the cheesecloth over the pitcher and secure it with an elastic band. 

Thus I have laid before you one of my earliest and dearest hot chocolates. I hope, my dear reader, that you find it worthy to join the heavenly hot chocolates served in stained-glass cups.