Catalan Hot Chocolate
Simple Recipes Beverages Spanish
Hot chocolate with the taste of Barcelona. Generally it's slightly thick so you can dip churros in it. My version isn't thickened with starch, I made it so it can be enjoyed on its own at any time of day (take it in a thermos for skiing or sledding 😉 ). However, it is naturally velvety and smooth. It's flavored with lemon and orange and a hint of cinnamon, the typical flavors of crema catalana.
Ingredients
100g dark chocolate (50% cacao)
50g cocoa powder (I used 30g Valrhona + 20g Schmidt)
400ml milk
300ml water
2 short espressos (100ml)
6 strips orange peel
4 strips lemon peel
whipped cream and cinnamon/cocoa for serving
Servings: 4
How to prepare catalan hot chocolate
- In a small pot, add the milk, water, espresso, and citrus peels taken with a vegetable peeler. Bring to a boil and immediately turn off the heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes to infuse. After this time, remove the peels.
- In a bowl, place the chopped chocolate (I use chocolate chips which don't need chopping). Pour a little of the hot mixture from step 1. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the cocoa and stir until you get a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour the remaining hot liquid in a thin stream while stirring until everything dissolves well and you have a lump-free composition.
- Put the chocolate back in the pot and keep on low heat until it heats through. Don't let the chocolate boil though, just make sure you see steam rising from it.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately. It keeps very well for 1-2 days in the fridge. When serving, just reheat it without letting it boil.
- Serve in cappuccino cups with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with a little cinnamon or cocoa.
