Parisian Chocolat Chaud

It's that time of year when my kids are always hankering for a cup of hot chocolate… 

I LOVED hot chocolate as a kid, but as I've gotten older, it just doesn't do it for me anymore... at least the SwissMiss or other powder packets don't.  In fact, I've grown very skeptical about Swiss Miss being authentic Swiss chocolate… I checked out our box and lo and behold it's made in Nebraska!  Come on!  You've got a picture of the Swiss Alps on your box and it's made in the flattest state in America?!  

What I REALLY love is French chocolat chaud.  As a new missionary in Belgium, we would hike over to this sweet elderly lady's home to visit.  She was 90+ years old, sharp as a tack, and would serve us the most delicious hot chocolate to thaw our frozen bones.  It was not too sweet, but still very decadent.  When ever I revisit France I always enjoy this scrumptious indulgence.

Sipping chocolat chaud in Paris

So, fed up with the cheap powder packets, I recently turned to the trusty internet to learn how to make the authentic drink, and this afternoon I gave it a whirl. 

Why didn't I try this sooner??? 

 It turned out AMAZING.  So I thought I'd share with you. 

First and foremost, spring for the whole milk.  If you don't have it on hand, I suppose 1% or whatever will do, but the whole milk really makes it wonderful.  Heat it on the stove top… don't bring it to a boil though! 

Once the milk is warm, add a finely chopped bar of semi-sweet chocolate (about 2.5 ounces per cup, but I just did it to taste).  Don't just get any lousy bar of dark chocolate either.  European chocolate is so far SUPERIOR to American chocolate it's not even funny (sorry Hershey's).  You can find European chocolate or any other higher quality brand of dark chocolate at Costco, Trader Joe's, World Market, and I'm sure several other places that I don't know about.

Whisk the chocolate into the milk as it gradually gets hotter.  If you want it thick, let it boil on low for three minutes.  I'm personally not a fan of thick. 

Do lots of taste tests :)

Et voila! You have a most delicious and satisfying cup of hot chocolate.  The Frenchies use a demitasse, which is a smaller cup, that way you're not overindulging.  

And if the semisweet isn't sweet enough for you (it is for me!) you can add a packet of brown sugar.

We had a great time pretending we were in Paris while looking back on our old pictures from our visit last May.

It turns out pretending to be in Paris with your kids is a lot more fun than actually being in Paris with your kids.  Just trust me on that one.  

I asked Caroline what her favorite part of Paris was.  She replied, "The Eiffel Tower.  I mean, the hotel."  "Why the hotel?"  "Because it has bunk beds."  And there you have it! 

Em rocking it at Place du Tertre.

Yes, slightly happier pretending to be in Paris than actually being in Paris, can you tell?