Romantic hot chocolate my cafe recipes
Make chocolate in the cup
Chocolate in the cup is a tradition in Europe. We consume it hot and it comforts our body and spirit.
Romantic hot chocolate my cafe recipes
This drink was the origin of the knowledge of cocoa by European explorers who tasted it in Mesoamerica in the sixteenth century. The inhabitants of these areas took it as an energy and stimulant drink only consumed by the elites and also used in religious rituals.
Details about the history of chocolate can be read on our website, we will not dedicate space to it now.
Just to say that the cocoa beans were roasted and ground and mixed with water, chili, cloves, cinnamon,… getting a drink that was beaten to form a foam and tasted like this.
It was the drink of the elites and ritual ceremonies. Even today a chocolate is tasted in the cup on the days of “fiestas patrias” throughout Latin America.
When moving to Europe, the drink loses the spicy components and gains sugar to make it sweet. It is taken frothy but hot and can be made with water or enriched with milk, milk cream,… according to the country where it is adopted.
The arrival of chocolate in the cup was made by the hand of convents and royalty. Soon it will be mixed with milk and sugar to give it more fat content and thicker.
In Spain we have a chocolate cup with more body than in other places in Europe and what to say about the USA.
A quality cocoa has enough fat to thicken the chocolate without the need for flours. It is only a matter of adding cocoa in sufficient quantity and letting it boil over very low heat moving it until it takes shape.
It is very important to choose a good cocoa to have a good chocolate in the cup.
Cocoa is an energetic food and full of properties that are maintained if it is not alkalized.
Alkalinization is a chemical process that is performed to remove the acidity of low quality cocoa and to give it a more reddish color.
This process is unnecessary if the cocoa is fine in aroma, that is, aromatic and without astringency.
hot chocolate recipe
The preparation of this drink is simple but some important details must be taken into account to achieve its maximum flavor.
As we have said, the main basis is to have a good product, either 100% cocoa powder or a granulated/powder prepared for chocolate in the cup.
We offer you the possibility to prepare three types of chocolate in the cup and as a general rule for all of them we make these previous considerations:
– If you have bought a bad cocoa you will get a chocolate in the cup with little aroma, astringent and bitter in excess. Always buy chocolate with high cocoa content, little sugar and without flours or thickeners. In this way you control the amount of additions that your cup of chocolate has.
– Use as a base milk of any kind or water
– Add to the natural vanilla base to flavor and infuse it. If you like any other spice like nutmeg, cinnamon cardamom, cloves, chili or orange zest, this is the time.
-Add to the base and cocoa a portion (about 50 gr) of a good chocolate bar that we especially like and that gives it its own nuances. We can put a portion of 100% chocolate to give more intensity, a portion of Indonesian chocolate that gives it an acid point, a portion of Dominican Rep. chocolate with fruity notes, etc … hundreds of possibilities.
– Let the chocolate we have prepared rest for at least eight hours in cold. This step is very important because the aromas and nuances of cocoa and the spices that are added to it intensify and emerge with rest. As it was said before: do from today to tomorrow or do the eve.
RECIPES
1. Chocolate with 100% cocoa base
It is a chocolate made with 100% pure cocoa, therefore, what stands out is the intense cocoa flavor with all its nuances.
We heat a liter of whole milk (or the one you prefer) or any type of milk that we like and add the natural Madagascar vanilla opened in half or the spices that we decide to infuse.
If the cocoa is aromatic we will not add spices.
chocolate my cafe recipe
As an option, a portion of chocolate of our taste is added that gives fruity nuances, citrus, etc …
Dissolve 100gr of Cocoa powder Plantacion de Pralus, Amedei or Marou without Alkalizing for an intense cocoa flavor (Marou for those who like the most fruity cocoa) in the very hot milk moving it until the cocoa dissolves and thickens.
For those who like a more consistent preparation can replace 200ml of milk with 200 ml of liquid cream.
This cocoa has no sugar so you will have to add sugar to taste (about 70gr) or the sweetener that interests us the most.
This is a cocoa of great intensity so it is ideal for lovers of chocolate to the intense cup.
By not incorporating flours, it gives rise to an unctuous chocolate, suitable for people with intolerance to gluten and lecithin, diabetics, etc.
This same recipe will have an “Aztec” variation if instead of milk and cream we only put water and add a little spicy like cayenne, some pink peppercorns, cloves, cardamom,… infuse in the water and strain.
To that water we add 120gr of cocoa powder and 85gr of sugar making it simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
Finally serve and put some salt flakes on top.
A calorie-free delight!…
2. Chocolate with chocolate preparation base in the Cup
To prepare this chocolate we start from preparations in which the master chocolatier has already created a recipe and has included vanilla, cocoa in different percentages (usually around 70%) and sugar.
We use the contents of a Pralus Cocoa Show Bottle from which we take 70 gr and dissolve them in a liter of very hot whole milk, bringing to a gentle boil until it dissolves and thickens.
If we want more intensity we will add more dust.
Spices or chocolate can be added to taste although, as we have indicated, this formulation already includes it.
This chocolate has little added sugar and a high intensity. If you want a sweeter taste you will have to add sugar.
For those who want a more consistent preparation can replace 200ml of milk with 200 ml of liquid cream.
For those who want a softer chocolate, it is recommended to add to 1 liter of milk only half of the package. However, with this formulation we will obtain a chocolate in the cup less thick by not incorporating flours.
3. Chocolate in the cup for Allergy Sufferers and Vegans
Finally, starting from the first recipe made with cocoa powder can become vegan or suitable for any intolerant if we replace:
cocoa butter instead of cream
water or vegetable “milks” instead of cow’s milk
In this way the chocolate will not have dairy, gluten, nuts,… or any of the usual allergens.
It admits spices of any kind to give it a personal touch.
Aroma hot chocolate my café
In Europe, chocolate in the cup is taken hot but our advice, very important, is not to consume freshly made. Remember that it is essential to prepare the chocolate and let it rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Then the part to be consumed will be heated or used as a cream or mousse for different preparations.
This cold chocolate cream can be used in a thousand dessert desserts:
– with Greek yogurt
– with ice cream
– with fruit
– with flan, custard, panacotta,…
– as an accompaniment
On our page”Not only chocolate in the cup”we offer you some ideas and in our “Chocolate recipes” you can see more applications.
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