Viennese Hot Chocolate

Is there anything more comforting than a rich cup of hot chocolate? Winter may have some negative attributes, but a delicious hot chocolate is definitely part of the goodies the cold season is bringing to us. It is of no surprise that the best hot chocolate comes from Switzerland. If you ever had the chance to roam in charming downtown St Moritz, on a cold winter day, chances are you stopped at Hanselmann’s, a confectionery shop in the heart of town that serves the best hot chocolate imaginable. If you cannot travel to Switzerland this winter, it is possible to recreate the magic at home, provided you can lay your hand on a premium chocolate.

The featured recipe is the second dessert of our special edition: 100% Chocolate. This Viennese hot chocolate will put a smile on every child and adult face, even on the coldest day. The only prerequisite for a sumptuous hot chocolate is to invest in a chocolat grand crus such as the Valhrona “Tainori”  or the Michel Cluizel “Maralumi”. The happiness and contentment derived from a real Viennese hot chocolate will be priceless.

A rich Viennese hot chocolate is pure bliss on any cold winter day


Chocolate macaron is the perfect companion to this hot chocolate. Check out our recipe.

Viennese Hot Chocolate
(Recipe for 4 servings)

4 oz (120g) of 64% chocolate, a premier Central African brand if possible
2 cups (500ml) of low fat milk
2 tbsp of bitter cocoa plus some for decoration
4 tbsp of superfine sugar
2/3 cup (150g) of heavy cream, well chilled


Grate the chocolate. Heat the milk, cocoa and sugar in a pan.

Remove from the heat, add the grated chocolate and whisk the mixture at high speed for at least 2 minutes in a large bowl. Beat the heavy cream to firm peaks.

When the hot chocolate is very foamy, serve it immediately in large mugs, topped with 2 tbsp of whipped cream. Sprinkle a little bitter cocoa over.

Notes
1) Useful tips from the author: Add the seeds of a vanilla bean to the whipped cream. To make an even richer Viennese chocolate, replace 2/3 cup of the milk with crème fraîche.
2) Recipe adapted from the book "Chocolat" by Stéphan Lagorce