As you know, I have never had either coffee or tea in my life, a fact that I am confident many of you have repressed.
To many friends, it seems an impossibility. How could you not drink coffee? Tea? Is it my religion, they ask? An allergy?
Neither of the above. My parents could not get me to drink milk, so they disguised it as
hot chocolate, thus addicting me to this elixir for life.
To this day — and I see no changes in my future — I have cocoa every morning of the year. People find this odd, and state confidently that cocoa is a winter beverage.
“C’mon!” I protest, “You drink hot coffee or scalding tea all year long!” It’s different, they say. But it’s not.
I drink an entire café-au-lait bowlful to start each day. It is my breakfast — full of
protein and chocolatey happiness. It keeps me sated until noon, unless someone asks me if I want a pastry, and then, of course, all bets are off.
Cocoa and hot chocolate are very different beverages. Cocoa is less sweet and made from cocoa powder, a little sugar, and milk – I use skim or 1%. Hot chocolate, by contrast,
is best made using the highest-quality bittersweet chocolate available, melted
lovingly into milk or cream. It can be made from skim milk, too, but why would you?
I tend to save hot chocolate for special occasions, and use it more as a dessert. Its
richness calls for smaller amounts – doses, almost. Demitasse cups are the perfect size.
Today’s recipe is, to me, the most exquisite of all hot chocolates. It is adapted from one I found in Saveur magazine, and have tinkered with for almost 20 years. Markipedia was fascinated by the geography of the ingredient list. I misread the caption and thought the source was South American, to which Mark immediately said, “No, this has to be Spanish Baroque.” He was right. (It is hard living with an encyclopedia.) The entire sprawling Spanish empire is found in this little cup: chocolate, chile and vanilla from Central America, saffron from the Mediterranean, milk and roses from Eurasia, cinnamon and sugar from Southeast Asia.
He’s insisted I keep my version of this recipe a secret for twenty years, but as it has published origins, it is time to share it with all my friends. It makes a great flavor base for panna cotta, or homemade truffles. Those concepts are MY addition to the culinary world.
And it is never too soon to plan for Valentine’s Day, is it?
Spanish
Baroque Hot Chocolate
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Unknown
December 12, 2015 at 2:16 pmA feast for the eyes AND the tummy. Can't wait to try this. On a (sort of) related note, have you ever tried the Mexican versions of hot chocolatl? I remember my 7th grade social studies student teacher bringing empanadas and this very thick, sweet hot beverage to our class that his wife made for us. I think the base was sweetened condensed milk, but I believe the original was maiz-based?
Thanks, as always, for your inspiration.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 12, 2015 at 2:40 pmThanks for such a great comment! Yes, I love Mexican hot chocolate, although have never made it with sweetened condensed milk – as what we can buy in the stores is already very sweet. If you enjoyed that, you will love this! Now I want to make pumpkin empanadas to eat with this while I sip it!
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
December 12, 2015 at 10:31 pmDavid, this is absolutely gorgeous!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 13, 2015 at 12:52 amThanks, Liz!
John - heneedsfood
December 12, 2015 at 11:13 pmHow incredibly dainty! A raised pinky, for sure. This sounds so delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 13, 2015 at 12:53 amOh, the pinkies around here are raise, for sure! It is delicious, John – and a little goes a long way!
Ahu @ Ahueats
December 13, 2015 at 1:27 pmWOW, this looks amazing! I've never seen such a complex and rich 'haute' chocolate…. lucky me I have all the ingredients except for the chile which should be easy to find. I chuckled at Markipedia and pinkies out… love it. can't wait to try this ! Happy holidays David! 🙂
Cocoa and Lavender
December 13, 2015 at 4:36 pmAhu, you of all my readers will love this! Please try it am give a report backs,
Susan
December 13, 2015 at 2:55 pmDecadent! As you write, more of a dessert than a beverage! So beautifully photographed and sounds so very good. "The cook and His Encyclopedia" is an intriguing title for a memoir!
Cocoa and Lavender
December 13, 2015 at 4:41 pmI love The Cook and His Encyclopedia for the title of our book, Susan! And I know that you love this hot chocolate recipe, too!
Provence WineZine
January 9, 2016 at 2:35 amI was reading through these comments again, poking around, and I saw "The Cook and His Encyclopedia" and thought what a cool title…go for it!
Sippity Sup
December 13, 2015 at 4:06 pmHaving grown up on Swiss Miss I have an aversion to Hot Chocolate that would surely be cured by this recipe. GREG
Cocoa and Lavender
December 13, 2015 at 4:42 pmGreg – this will make you forget about that Swiss Miss, whoever she is, and it might just cure your aversion completely.
Matt :)
December 19, 2015 at 3:45 amThat Swiss Miss is pretty cheap and easy. I think I prefer the elegance and exotic nature of your recipe. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
December 20, 2015 at 12:15 amI know I prefer the exotic version, Matthew!
Unknown
December 13, 2015 at 6:13 pmI drink cocoa every morning too! I will think of you from now on. Your china is lovely and the photos, as always, exquisite.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 16, 2015 at 1:55 pmJean – I am so glad to know there is another daily cocoa drinker out there! Thanks for your kind comment about the photos. It was a fun post to shoot!
Anonymous
December 13, 2015 at 11:01 pmI really admire you for drinking chocolate every morning! While I love velvety hot chocolate it has never occurred to me that I could drink it every morning if I wanted. Many years ago I found a recipe for Castilian chocolate in a sort of "natural foods" cookbook. It had a little cornstarch to make it thicker. It really seemed more like a chocolate pudding than hot chocolate.
The book said this, "A cup of this chocolate and some gossip will take the chill off any winter day." Imagine that! I think I'll have a hot chocolate right now.
Your collection of china saucers is very pretty.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 16, 2015 at 1:57 pmI love that quote from the book, Caterina! I agree with you – I am not fond of the cornstarch in cocoa to thicken it. I have had that in Italy, as well, and much prefer to drink my cocoa rather than eat it with a spoon. However, there are always exceptions – the hot chocolate (as opposed to cocoa) in Paris is thick and velvety, made with cream and chocolate. It is worth trying!
Marcelle
December 14, 2015 at 12:01 amThis sounds so wonderful, I will gladly try it and report back! Beautiful pictures! Bottoms up and pinkies out, indeed!! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
December 16, 2015 at 1:58 pmThanks, Marcelle – I will look forward to your report!
Unknown
December 16, 2015 at 2:15 amOk, so I knew you didn't drink tea or coffee, but I never knew you have never tried them!! Now, that is impressive. I don't judge btw 🙂 Hot cocoa and hot chocolate are all ok in my book.
Like you drank cocoa as a child to sneak in milk, mine was coffee. It was coffee flavoured milk that got me. At school we had a very milky au lait and I have been hooked ever since. My mother also mixed a bunch of chocolate in my milk. I don't like milk.
This hot chocolate is gorgeous. The colour, the flavours and the cups too, all beautiful.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 16, 2015 at 1:59 pmThanks, Nazneen – both for your nice comment and for not judging! 🙂 The smell of coffee and tea are just not what my nose wants, and my tastebuds listen to the nose!
Colette (Coco)
December 16, 2015 at 6:58 pmI love your china, your taste in chocolate and YOU!
Happy holidays, my sweet friend! xoxoox
Cocoa & Lavender
December 23, 2015 at 12:36 amAnd, to you, as well, dear friend!
Valentina
December 20, 2015 at 6:40 pmThis sounds absolutely delicious on so many levels. The vanilla, the cinnamon, and the saffron! Oh my! LOVE all of your beautiful China, too! XO
Cocoa & Lavender
December 23, 2015 at 12:37 amI knew people would like this post! Thanks, Valentina!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
December 21, 2015 at 3:13 pmYour dishes are gorgeous! Now I'm going to have to start keeping my eyes open! I have had spicy chocolate bars that were delicious, so why not cocoa. (I even have Thai chili peppers on a potted plant now)
Cocoa & Lavender
December 23, 2015 at 12:37 amThe pepper is the least interesting part of this amazing hot chocolate – you really should give it a whirl, Inger!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
December 23, 2015 at 9:28 pmWhat an indulgent and delicious way to start your day, especially in one of your beautiful cups.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2015 at 2:51 pmThanks, Karen! It's nice at any time of the day!
Nuts about food
January 22, 2016 at 9:20 amI don't find it surprising that you don't drink tea or coffee in the morning, but I do find it surprising that you have never had either in your whole life. Never even tasted them? Aren't you curious as to how they might taste? In any case, I am sure your body doesn't miss the caffeine…
Cocoa & Lavender
January 24, 2016 at 11:18 pmYou know, Fiona, if you get coffee or tea near my nose, the smell is so awful – I love the smell of it brewing, but… And, as to caffeine, I have almost none – no sodas, etc. I am very susceptible to it, and I am already a Type A personality. Caffeine would not be a good addition to my ethos!
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February 15, 2016 at 3:24 amyeahhh chocolate
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