THANK YOU!! This is what I was hoping for, and I can definitely make this for myself and others too! I was looking for the intense chocolate flavor, and not develop the milk / cream. Perfect!
There's a really exceptional one in the new Mast Brothers Chocolate cookbook--the recipe serves 4.
Combine in a saucepan: 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 stick cinnamon, seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, 2 1/2 ounces chopped dark chocolate. Put the chocolate in last, once the mixture has come to a simmer. Mix to emulsify. Take out the cinnamon stick and serve.
It's really delicious, and there's no dairy to get in the way of the flavor of the chocolate. For this reason, use the best chocolate you can afford because you'll taste all the nuances. It sounds like a lot of allspice, but it really isn't. The flavor is incredible.
I really like this recipe I found in a book about Sisi's (Empress Elisabeth of Austria, that is) favourite sweets from her travels around 19th century Europe. It's a thick, surprisingly rich and very chocolatey tasting sipping chocolate with just a hint of spice:
Bring 700ml water with 70g sugar and a vanilla bean to a boil, add 300g chopped up dark chocolate and let it melt. Mix 1Tbsp corn starch with a bit of water and whisk it into the chocolate. Let it boil while continously stirring for 3-4 mins until thickened a bit, mix in a pinch of salt and pour into small cups. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top and whipped cream on the side.
The best hot chocolate I have tasted comes from Bologna. For a recipe, see http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/-Nuns-Revenge-Fabulous-Italian-Hot-Chocolate-236601
This version is very similar to Bologna's cioccolata calda, which is made with cream and topped with a huge cap of whipped cream. If you are dealing with lactose-intolerance problems, you can't follow the recipe exactly. I suppose you could try it with water, but almond or coconut milk might be better. If you are just worried about the fat content of the milk or cream, I'd say relax, give it a try . . . good fats are your new friend.
Follow any recipe for hot chocolate that uses actual chocolate, not cocoa powder. Replace any milk/cream with water. When you use water instead of milk the finished beverage will be intensely chocolatey because there will be no dairy to temper the chocolate. If this isn't for a vegan you can add a small amount of cream for added richness.
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Combine in a saucepan: 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 stick cinnamon, seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, 2 1/2 ounces chopped dark chocolate. Put the chocolate in last, once the mixture has come to a simmer. Mix to emulsify. Take out the cinnamon stick and serve.
It's really delicious, and there's no dairy to get in the way of the flavor of the chocolate. For this reason, use the best chocolate you can afford because you'll taste all the nuances. It sounds like a lot of allspice, but it really isn't. The flavor is incredible.
Bring 700ml water with 70g sugar and a vanilla bean to a boil, add 300g chopped up dark chocolate and let it melt. Mix 1Tbsp corn starch with a bit of water and whisk it into the chocolate. Let it boil while continously stirring for 3-4 mins until thickened a bit, mix in a pinch of salt and pour into small cups. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top and whipped cream on the side.
This version is very similar to Bologna's cioccolata calda, which is made with cream and topped with a huge cap of whipped cream. If you are dealing with lactose-intolerance problems, you can't follow the recipe exactly. I suppose you could try it with water, but almond or coconut milk might be better. If you are just worried about the fat content of the milk or cream, I'd say relax, give it a try . . . good fats are your new friend.