Winter has arrived

It's that time of year again, when you wake up and it's still dark. The heaters and blankets come out, and the sexy clothes get put away. Maybe it's just me, but I find it hard to look good when I'm bundled up in 100 layers of clothing! I hate the weather this time of year, but at the same time nothing's better than hot chocolate and snuggling on the couch.
The tradition of hot chocolate goes all the way back to the ancient aztecs who drank something called "xocoatl" which means bitter water. Of course the stuff we get now in convenient powdered form is probably nothing like the real thing. While I'm quite sure I wouldn't drink cocoa pods seeped in hot water, here's a recipe that'll blow your socks off.

WARNING: This is very rich, serve in moderation, say, espresso cups. Any more and you'll be high for days, as well as feeling somewhat sea sick.

Hot chocolate

You need:
Slab of good quality chocolate*
a glass of full cream milk
50mL double thick cream

How to do it:
1. Break up your chocolate into small chunks.
2. Over LOW heat, combine half the milk and the chocolate.
3. Continuously whisk till all chocolate is dissolved.
4. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Remove from heat.
5. Taste it. If it's too thick, add more milk. If it's not sweet enough, add some sugar.
6. Serve immediately.


*Chocolate: use milk chocolate if you have a sweet tooth, otherwise use 70% cocoa or dark chocolate and add sugar to taste. A standard size slab makes enough for approx 3 ppl.