| Saturday, April 14, 2007 |
| DRINKING CHOCOLATE: TIPS FOR THE HOME VERSION |
* Use good-quality chocolate. Any premium dark chocolate you enjoy eating will make good drinking chocolate, but we suggest one with around 70 percent cocoa solids. For fun, compare bars made from a single variety of cocoa bean (called single origin chocolate); Colombian is known for its berry and spice notes, Ecuadorean is earthy with a hint of licorice, Venezuelan is deep and fruity. Look for chocolate with a smooth (not gritty) texture and a long aftertaste.
* Chop solid chocolate from the corners. Use a chef's knife or a serrated bread knife.
* Use whole milkI to softens the chocolate's earthy intensity, and you need less of it than if you use a lower-fat dairy. If you find the drinking chocolate still too bittersweet and strong, add more milk or stir in cream or half-and-half to taste.
* Whip it up. Drinking chocolate gets extra-creamy and light when you whirl it in a blender. An immersion blender is a fine tool for the task, and a hand-held milk frother will do the job, too.
* Make it ahead. While this step is not essential (and you may not want to wait), refrigerating drinking chocolate overnight allows the flavors to develop and the mixture to thicken slightly. Reheat gently on the stove, and whisk or whirl in the blender just before serving.
* Season to taste. Cuppa chocolate not sweet enough for you? Add some sugar. Stir in a pinch of salt or a drop of vanilla to enhance the flavor. Or borrow a page from the Aztecs, and spike it with cinnamon, cayenne or ancho chile powder.
* Drink your dessert. For a cold-weather party, a warm cup of drinking chocolate makes an elegant finish to a meal. Serve it in pretty demitasse cups with a delicate cookie on the side.
from : http://www.startribune.comLabels: chocolate drink |
posted by All About Home @ 9:53 PM  |
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