UPDATED OCTOBER 2019: I use a Milk Cafe (affiliate link) instead of a pot and stirring myself (this is not a recommendation. I’ve had to replace mine twice, but it still makes a great hot chocolate). My current chocolate mixture is 30g of Manjari, 10g of Tanzanie (Cacao Barry), and 10g of Saint Dominque.

---

ORIGINAL POST (CIRCA 2015)

So yesterday Jamie asked me for my hot chocolate recipe, and I had to tell her that I didn’t actually have one because I usually wing it.

Then Aja shared this meme with me:

And I laughed and laughed, then felt guilty about not having a recipe to share. So I pulled out the scale and the liquid measuring cup today, and voila!

MCD’s Daily Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients

Approx. 2 cups skim milk [so just shy of 500 ml]

40 grams of Manjari [approx. 1.4 ounces] (64% single origin from Grand Cru; Valrhona)

20 grams [approx 0.7 ounces] of Saint Dominque (70% single origin; Cacao Barry)

A pinch of Fleur de Sel (optional) [I use this if I feel the need to sweeten the chocolate]

Instructions

I fill my travel mug with skim milk [turns out this is about 2 cups or 500 ml], then I dump this milk into a small pot and heat it to the point before scalding (but not actually scalding).

While the milk is warming, I toss the chocolate into a regular-sized mug or bowl (because that is easier to stir than the deeper travel mug). Usually, I don’t weigh the chocolate. I simply toss in a bunch of my go-to chocolate, Manjari, then add a smaller amount of my secondary chocolate-of-the-month.

If I’m adding salt to sweeten, I do so at this point. But I usually don’t need to with the Manjari base.

I pour approx. 1/3^rd of the hot milk over the chocolate (filling the mug about halfway), then let it sit for about two minutes.

Then I stir. Vigorously. First in one direction; for approx. one minute. Then, in the other direction; for approx. another minute.

Yes, I stir for that amount of time. Sometimes even longer. Don’t judge me. I love my hot chocolate. It’s a daily ritual. A moment I take each day.

I add a bit more of the hot milk, enough to almost fill the mug; stirring again. Yes, again. Seriously.

Then I pour the chocolate mixture into my travel mug, setting it aside.

I add the remaining hot milk to the now empty, but still chocolate-coated, regular mug (or bowl, if that’s what you opted to use). I also place the chocolate-coated spoon in the hot milk. Then I wait another two or so minutes, allowing the remnants of the chocolate to melt off the spoon and bottom of the mug. I stir this as well, scraping the bottom of the mug and mixing in as much of the residual chocolate as possible.

Then I pour everything into the travel mug.

And stir one more time. Carefully now, because the travel mug is usually pretty full by this point.

Yes.

Stir one more time.

It’s totally worth it.

Notes

If you want a richer hot chocolate, you can sub half of the skim milk for cream or whole milk.

This recipe calls for a large amount of chocolate, so you can totally back off on that.

Try blending a bunch of different chocolates until you come up with your favourite taste profile. This month I’ve been switching the Saint Dominque back and forth with Inaya, a 65% pur noir from Cacao Barry.

What is your favourite ‘beautiful chocolate’? 😀

Tasty!