Baby it’s cold outside!

Hot cocoa for snowy, snowy days.
by Jaqueline Segal

As the snow piles up on the window sill, thoughts of heartwarming, snuggly foods tend to overshadow any penchant for haute cuisine. There hasn’t been a day this week, as I slide my way home through the slush, that I haven’t craved a hot cocoa to chase away my winter blahs, blues, and “wish-it-were-springs.” From the cup of Timmy’s hot chocolate we loved as kiddies with skating-induced frozen toes, to the richly flavoured sipping-cocoas from Toronto’s finest chocolatiers, there doesn’t seem to be any problem that a warm mug of chocolate can’t fix.

And good news for choco-fans: Researchers from Cornell University have done thorough studies showing that a mug of hot cocoa contains more antioxidants than a glass of wine, or a standard cup of black or green tea.* Practically making it a health food, no?

And so, without further ado, three easy preparations of hot cocoa:

I made all of these recipes from the same standard-sized bar of dark chocolate. A third of a bar is used in each recipe.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa:

• 2 small York peppermint patties

• 1 tbsp of brown sugar

• 1 ½ cups of milk (the higher the fat content, the richer your cocoa. Avoid using anything else than 2%. Trust me.)

• 1/3 of a dark chocolate bar

• for an optional extra kick: a chocolate, peppermint or mint chocolate liqueur.

In a small pot, on a low to medium hot stove, melt the chocolate and peppermint patties in milk, being careful to keep the stove at a consistently low heat to avoid scalding (yourself and the milk). Once your chocolate has melted, add the sugar, which should quickly dissolve in the warm mixture. Wisk the hot cocoa mixture thoroughly (I’d recommend a small electric milk frother for this), for at least 30 seconds. The cocoa will be quite hot at this point, so set it aside for a few moments before you pour yourself a mug (or bowl) of deliciousness.

Hot Mocha Cocoa (Eeesh…say that one three times fast!!):

• One shot espresso

• 1/3 bar of dark chocolate

• 1 ½ cups of milk

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• for an optional extra kick: a shot of coffee liqueur

In a small pot on a low to medium hot stove, melt the chocolate in to the shot of espresso. Once melted, incorporate your milk (again, making sure not to make it too hot), sugar, and a cinnamon stick. At the lowest temperature possible, allow your cocoa mixture to mingle with the cinnamon for approximately 5 – 10 minutes (depending on how many sidewalks you’ve just come in from shoveling.). Wisk the mixture and let it stand before serving.

Spicy hot cocoa (perfect for that special foodie in your life):

• 1/3 bar of dark chocolate

• 1 ½ cups of milk

• 1 cinnamon stick

• teeny pinch of ground hot chili pepper and/or

• teeny pinch of cayenne

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• optional extra kick: a shot of dark rum

Just as before, melt the chocolate in milk. Once melted, add your cinnamon stick, spice and sugar, to dissolve. Let this one simmer on very low for a while, (10 minutes or more) to allow the full flavour of the cinnamon and chili to develop. Wisk, let stand to cool slightly, and serve. The flavours in this one are reminiscent of traditional South and Central American flavour combinations, where chili and chocolate are more commonly used hand-in-hand. You’ve probably seen similar hot chocolates advertised or promoted as Mayan or Mexican in specialty shops or restaurants.

Hot chocolate, three ways. Try all three, or leave out the extras, add a drip of vanilla extract, and go for the traditional favorite. And surely, after such a healthy treat,* you can feel virtuous enough to truly indulge. That, I leave up to you.

*Totally not lying about the antioxidant fact. I swear. Google it.