“Did you know that the secret to the best hot chocolate is to basically just use melted chocolate? With maybe a dash of heavy cream.”
This is an excerpt from my upcoming middle grade novel, Hiss.
His mood crashed again and turned a stricken face up to her as he flipped back the top flaps of the box to show her.
“Oh my,” she said, putting the files down on the hall table. “What happened here?”
“Teddy happened here.” Max’s lower lip trembled and, blinking hard, he looked away.
Dr Martin was silent for a moment and then she pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed a quick message. “Just letting your dad know I’m going to be delayed. What you need, my man, is some hot chocolate. Come this way.” She turned smartly on her heel and strode towards the kitchen.
Max was surprised to find the stone in his chest had softened a little. And hot chocolate did sound good. He followed her, still clutching his box.
In the kitchen, Dr Martin bustled around, putting a small saucepan on the stove and pulling a carton of cream out of the fridge. “Put that down, Max, and take a seat. This will be ready in a minute. Good thing I always carry emergency supplies, too,” she grinned at him as she unwrapped the large bar of bittersweet chocolate she’d taken from her purse and broke it into big chunks into the saucepan. She added a little cream and turned the gas burner on to low. “Did you know that the secret to the best hot chocolate is to basically just use melted chocolate? With maybe a dash of heavy cream.”
Max had put the box down on the counter and now sat at the kitchen table. The smell of warm chocolate filled the room. His mouth watered.
“I learned how to make it in Paris one year during my graduate studies,” she went on conversationally as she stirred the mixture. “You can’t leave it unattended. The stuff can burn in a heartbeat. There,” she said and took the saucepan off the burner. She pulled a mug out of the cupboard and poured the thick, dark liquid into it before setting it on the table in front of Max. Then she sat down across from him.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” she asked kindly.
A recipe for rich hot chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional, but delicious for intensifying chocolate flavor
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate at least 70%, chopped*
- Giant bowl of whipped cream for serving
- Cinnamon for dusting on top
Directions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and espresso powder until small bubbles appear around the edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Remove from saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted, returning the sauce to low heat if needed for the chocolate to melt completely. Serve warm, topped with lots of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
Discover more from Kirsten Marion
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.