Hotta Chocolatta

(Please listen to this while reading this post).

This week at school, we learned about chocolate. Cacao. Chocolat. We learned pretty much all there is to know about it - how it's made, where it's from, the difference between brands of milk, dark and white chocolate, and how to work with each. We tempered and we tasted, and I must say, it was a delicious week.

We made chocolate cake topped with chocolate leaves!




We made little chocolate squares filled with crispy hazelnut feulletine.



We made truffles,



And chocolate boxes to put them in.





But, there's always room for more chocolate. So I wrote a chocolate poem (it's not made of chocolate, though, so don't try to eat it):

Chocolate

Choco-late, choco-late,
Cho-co-late.
Choco-late, choco-late,
It is great!
Especially
When I get to eat it.

Hot Chocolate (Hotta Chocolatta):
Adapted from Ina Garten



"Hotta, hotta, chocolatta - flip a dip a whip-a-cream in the middle of a hotta, hotta, chocolatta - pick her up and drink her down!"

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder
• cinnamon and marshmallows, for garnish

Directions:

Heat the milk in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add both chocolates. When the chocolates are melted, add the sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso and whisk vigorously. Reheat gently and serve immediately. Serve with a splash of cinnamon and a handful of marshmallows!

Yield: 4-5 servings