Cast your mind back to that one amazing hot chocolate you've had. The one that was somehow really thick like milkshake and tasted of nothing but melted, molten chocolate. Wouldn't it be great if you could have that all through winter?And so starts my hunt for the perfect hot chocolate.
I kicked off with Hotel Chocolat's Liquid Chocolate. Being somewhat of a purist, I stuck to the original instead of any of their other flavours (although I was very tempted by their chilli variety).
And I wanted to love it. I was all very excited watching the chocolatey flakes melt into the warm milk. And then sitting waiting patiently while it cooled down. And then well, being left rather underwhelmed.
Yes it's chocolatey. Yes it's better than the rubbish powdered stuff you get in the supermarket. But it doesn't have the extra oomph I expected. Considering it's £7.50, I expected more. Although I'm keen to play about with it and perhaps mix some cream in with the milk, or make this boozy hot chocolate drink. Maybe I should have bought a different flavour, but if this is the benchmark, I'm not overly impressed. It didn't wow me much more than my usual brand. That said, the website does let you use your title out of many, and I rather enjoy getting post for Baroness Sian.
And the hunt for the perfect hot chocolate continues. Got any favourites? Tell me in the comments!
Siany - you should really try Charbonnel et Walker Hot Chocolate! It's pricey, but oh my LORD it is delicious. I swear by it around this time of year. A large mug of that with some marshmellows, some good music on the stereo and a nice warm bath and I'm in heaven.
ReplyDeleteI do know what you mean about the Hotel Chocolat Hot Chocolate as well. I bought some last year for a treat and was distinctly underwhelmed. Raise your game posh chocolate shop!
Montazumas! Superb and no looking back once tasted http://www.montezumas.co.uk/drinking/
ReplyDeleteI really don't think hot chocolate comes any better than just melting your favourite chocolate bar into some hot milk...
ReplyDeleteit's got to be Green & Blacks organic hot chocolate.
ReplyDeletebut you won't thank me...you will be addicted, like me. I can't have it in the house.....
Rachel (aka rachellucie on twitter)
http://rachellucie.etsy.com
Maggie, that's a brilliant idea.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest of the suggestions... don't worry, I'm going to try them all!
I rather enjoyed Paul A Young's hot chocolate, and Van Houten's is also worth trying.
ReplyDeleteAvoid anything Twinings make - it's 50% sugar! You are definitely better off getting your favourite dark chocolate and making a super-saturated solution of it in a milk & cream mixture though.
Milo. Good old-fashioned, cheap as chips, malty Australian deliciousness-in-a-can Milo. Nothing fancy about it, but trust me you'll love it. Get thee to the Australian/Kiwi/Saffa/Canuck store on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden. Make sure you buy the Aussie kind, not the Saffa kind (ask the person at the counter), because the South African one is rubbish. (Sorry, South Africa. You fail at Milo.)
ReplyDeleteOooh there's a Kiwi shop in Pallmall. It's fun there. I'll pop in :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying the Cadburys one with chocolate chunks at the moment. It's a chunk of Dairy Milk with chocolate goo inside. Stir it into a mug of hot milk. DELICIOUS.
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