So, standard hot chocolate just doesn’t do much for me, anymore – I can kind of get by if it’s dark hot chocolate, but even that is just a stand in for what I really want: sipping chocolate.  Rich, thick, and delicious, it’s a wonderful dessert drink, particularly if you don’t have a taste for coffee (what can I say, I’ve never liked it.)  Anyway, I’ve had one heck of a craving for sipping chocolate and got tired of searching for a good mix, decided to play around in the kitchen until I got the result I was looking for.  Since it was both simple and delicious, I figured I’d share.

Easy Sipping Chocolate:

1 Part quality dark chocolate, chopped (60-65% cocoa works best, to my taste)
1 Part cream
2 Parts Milk (whole or 2%)

2oz dark chocolate, 2oz cream and 4oz milk is a good single serving size, but play with it until you get it where you want it. 

Put the cream over low heat until bubbles form around the rim of the pot, then take off the heat and stir – whisking works best – in your chopped chocolate.  You now have a ganache base.  At this point you have two choices; you can pour off any amount you’d like to reserve for later and refrigerate it, or you can make the whole batch at once. 

If making the whole batch: Once incorporated, just pour your milk right in and return to a low heat.  Whisk to combine and let the mixture come back up to a drinkable temperature, then dole out into cups.

If making enough for later: Once incorporated, pour off however much of the ganache you’d like to reserve for later and refrigerate once cooled.  Effectively, your recipe is now: 1 part prepared ganache, 1 part milk.  Pour an equal amount of milk into the remainder (I usually just eyeball it) and whisk to incorporate over a low heat, again.  Dole out as above once at a drinkable temperature.

When using the reserved (refrigerated) ganache, just scald the appropriate amount of milk, and whisk your saved ganache right in: tasty drinks for everyone!  Or, you know, just you.

You can, of course, dilute the ganache down with as much milk as you like, the point is to make it taste good for you, but personally, I’m of the opinion it’s not a good drinking chocolate unless it’s rich and at least moderately thick.  Remember, what you put in is what you get – like cooking with wine, don’t use a chocolate you wouldn’t eat on it’s own. 

Now, go forth and make yourself some sipping chocolate!  Then try not to go into a chocolate coma.  Tis the season. 😉