How could making hot chocolate be so controversial while everyone has their own way of making it? Some people buy a mix and use boiling water with it. Another way is to use milk and heat it in the microwave. However, if not made properly, hot chocolate can turn watery, grainy, or even too sweet very quickly. There are many different ways and outcomes to hot chocolate. What is the best hot chocolate?
It has to be the perfect combination of richness and flavor. Also, do you have to sacrifice one to get the best of the other? There are plenty of different recipes from professional chefs, world famous chocolate makers, and even popular home cooks. Why make all these recipes, and how can they all be different? With all of these recipes and techniques, it doesn’t simply boil down to the ingredients available.
When developing a recipe for hot chocolate, it is important to understand what all the ingredients are going to do. Professional chocolatier Jacques Torres advises using real chocolate to add richness and cocoa powder for extra flavor. There are plenty of different techniques such as whisking to emulsify the hot chocolate, which keeps the drink from becoming grainy or flat. This is different from stirring, as stirring is mainly used to combine the ingredients. Typically, stirring increases density and is not nearly as smooth as whisking. Also, cream or cornstarch slurries help make the consistency smoother and heavier, especially when it is whisked in with real chocolate and milk over near boiling heat. Using heat makes the drink warmer, of course, but it separates the fats in cocoa. It is best to gradually increase the heat to combine the ingredients and prevent the separation of coca butter fats from the cocoa powder. All of these things can combine to make the perfect hot chocolate.
A lot of people make common mistakes like cooking too hot or heating it too quickly. Doing this can burn the hot chocolate or even give it a bitter taste which ruins your drinking experience. Some people keep it basic and only use cocoa powder, but it does not add that extra dimension of taste. Adding real chocolate or butter creates a sweeter overall flavor to the drink. Using salt enhances the flavor to balance the sweetness, but it is important to not add too much to the point where you season your hot chocolate.
There is a dilemma between wanting to spend time using chef level techniques to make your drink richer or spending less time by going the simple route with an easier clean up, but it won’t taste as good. Then, there is the middle ground of how far you will go to get that perfect medium where it doesn’t take too long, but it still tastes amazing. The choice is entirely yours to make.
To make your perfect hot chocolate, one must have all these things come together. To create a rich texture, it is best to add real chocolate and whole milk. For quickness and extra chocolate flavor, you also use cocoa powder and chocolate chips. To consistently get all of that good stuff together you whisk and avoid boiling.
So, what’s the verdict? What is the best hot chocolate recipe? The verdict is there is no single recipe that makes the best hot chocolate. There are so many recipes though that it can feel perfect to your taste buds and change to each and every person. Having the best hot chocolate isn’t a strict ruling, for it comes down to a perfect balance that fits the taste buds of the person drinking it. Making a perfect hot chocolate means understanding the basics and having the capability of looking up recipes to follow and experiment with to find the best one for you.
