chocolate

KNR, p. 342 “Chocolate Soup”

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Technically, this is hot chocolate, but so thick and creamy, it’s easier to use a spoon to ‘drink’ it. We had it for the first time in Portugal and discovered that it’s sold everywhere that serves other chocolate treats. Additional research revealed that it’s available in several European countries (Spain, Italy) and Brazil as well. Each country has its own interpretation. Upon returning to the United States we attempted to re-create the Portuguese version and this recipe comes pretty close. What will make or break your own version is the brand of chocolate itself. Pick your favorite brand as the base – dark chocolate is our fave type – and have fun experimenting.

We discovered that a batch in the refrigerator got thicker overnight, so now we can make it ahead and serve it hot the next day. Oh, my, yum!

Chocolate Soup

Charlie and Sheila
thick, creamy hot chocolate
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Beverage
Cuisine International
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 one-quart saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bars lightly sweetened 60-70% dark chocolate, about 9 oz. total
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup condensed milk
  • 1 Tablespoon bakers sugar (very fine)
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Add the milk, condensed milk, and sugar to a small saucepan and stir.
  • Heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge, about 3 minutes.
  • Off the heat, add the salt and chocolate bars, broken into pieces.
  • Return to low heat and stir until all the chocolate has melted and starts to thicken, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and serve OR place in fridge to be re-heated and served the next day.

Notes

The photo shows cold foam and shaved chocolate on top of the yummy hot drink.
Keyword chocolate

 

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KNR, p. 336 “Hazelnut Muffins with Crumble Topping”

A very long time ago, we decided that chocolate was soooo delicious that it should be its own food group. Nobody listened to our reasoning, but maybe some day they will come to their senses. In the meantime, we discovered that we can add hazelnut spread to a chocolate muffin recipe. Hooray!!! Here’s what Sheila came up with…tender and easy, it’s a keeper!

Hazelnut Muffins

Sheila Kerrian
Chocolate and hazelnuts together!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 8 jumbo muffins

Equipment

  • Jumbo muffin tin
  • jumbo muffin papers
  • Standing mixer

Ingredients
  

Topping Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chopped, skinless hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 Tablespoons softened butter or margarine

Muffin Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 & 3/4 cups cake flour (cake flour creates a very tender muffin)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut cocoa spread
  • 1 & 1/4 cups milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Place jumbo muffin papers into the jumbo muffin tin.
  • Use a medium sized bowl and mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork and set aside.
  • Use a large bowl and mix together 1/2 cup hazelnut flour, light brown sugar, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Add hazelnut cocoa spread, vanilla extract, and milk to dry ingredients and mix well. The standing mixer will work nicely at this stage.
  • Pour the batter into the 8 muffin papers.
  • Spread the topping (about 2 teaspoons each) on top of each muffin.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
  • Remove muffin tin from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from the tin to continue cooling on the rack.
  • Serve warm with butter or cold with ice cream.

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KNR, p. 327 “Mocha for the Holidays”

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“Mocha” refers to a coffee drink that combines strong coffee (or espresso) with chocolate, and milk. The chocolate is added in the form of powder, chocolate syrup, or melted chocolate. 

Sheila and I both love coffee and if you have seen our recipe list, you know that we enjoy chocolate quite a bit as well. It didn’t occur to us to put the two together until we were stuck with terrible coffee at a motel. In a life-changing happenstance, a server placed packets of hot chocolate powder near the hot water and a light flashed on in my brain. I dumped the mix into a paper cup of the muddy water they had labeled as coffee, and we now had something drinkable…dare I say ‘transformative?’

We were hooked by the flavor combo, so why not make mocha at home using the delicious coffee we love?

The balance of ingredients is fairly standard:

Mocha for the Holidays

Sheila & Charlie Kerrian
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Beverage
Servings 1

Equipment

  • 1 quart-sized pan

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ounces strong, hot coffee (or espresso)
  • 1/2 cup hot (not boiling) whole milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Ghirardelli chocolate chips or chocolate syrup

Optional: candy canes, cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, sugar, mini-morsels, Bailey's

Instructions
 

  • Brew your favorite coffee as you usually do.
  • Place the whole milk in a pan on the stove, add the chocolate, and whisk together.
  • Heat on medium high and continue to whisk until the milk starts to simmer around the edges (do not boil) and the chocolate is thoroughly melted.
  • Pour the heated milk/chocolate into the coffee, stir and serve. You have an easy, yummy hot drink in a few minutes.

Notes

At the holidays, we serve the mocha drinks with whipped cream on top, and/or plop a cinnamon stick into the mug. The photo shows the variations of the basic recipe, with ground cinnamon, frothy milk, or chocolate powder on top for enhanced flavor.
These days, we travel with hot chocolate packets which mix nicely with a 6-8 ounce mug of coffee. The chocolate covers a lot of nasty notes of suspicious brown liquid presented as coffee.
Keyword Coffee, Chocolate

 

 You’re welcome!

 

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