Thick hot chocolate with pepper and cinnamon: the ultimate recipe for cold days

Ingredients for 1 cup

To prepare one serving, you will need simple products:

• dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content - about half a cup
• milk—1 cup
• sugar—to taste
• cinnamon
• anise
• cardamom
• cloves
• vanilla
• red pepper - a pinch
• salt - a pinch.

It is not necessary to use all the spices at once. You can adjust their quantity according to your own taste, but the combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and a small amount of pepper makes the drink particularly warming.

How to prepare hot chocolate

1. Prepare aromatic milk

Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add cinnamon, anise, cardamom, cloves, and vanilla. Slowly heat the mixture to approximately 80 degrees Celsius, when steam begins to appear.

It is important not to bring the milk to a boil. This way, it will retain its delicate flavor, and the spices will have time to release their aroma.

2. Add the chocolate

Chop the chocolate into small pieces beforehand. In a separate container, mix it with sugar and part of the warm milk, then stir well until the chocolate is completely melted.

It is dark chocolate with high cocoa content that helps achieve a rich flavor and thick texture.

3. Do not forget about pepper and salt

Add just a pinch of red pepper and a pinch of salt to the chocolate mixture. The pepper should not overpower the taste of the drink—its purpose is to emphasize the chocolate notes.

Salt is also added in small quantities: it helps make the chocolate flavor more expressive.

4. Bring the drink to the desired consistency

Pour the remaining warm milk into the chocolate mixture and continue stirring over low heat. The drink will gradually become thicker and acquire a uniform creamy texture.

Do not rush to add starch - in this recipe, the chocolate and milk themselves help make the drink thick enough.

How to make the chocolate even thicker

If you want to get not just a hot drink, but almost a full-fledged chocolate dessert, you can use a little starch. To do this, dissolve a teaspoon of starch in a small amount of milk beforehand to avoid lumps.

Add the mixture to the hot chocolate and continue stirring until it thickens to the desired consistency.

It is best to serve Chocolat Chaud immediately, while it is hot and aromatic. Such a drink will perfectly complement a cool evening, and the combination of bitter chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and a slight spiciness of pepper will turn an ordinary cup of milk into a warming autumn dessert.