Big or small, chocolate rules the universe. (I saw your eyes light up at the mere mention of the word.) No shame needed. Back in 2001, Americans consumed over 3.1 billion pounds of chocolate, almost half of the total world’s production. That’s a heck of a lot of Snickers bars.

Anyway, I’ve been reading a lot of chocolate books and scouring the internet, just so I can share a little fascinating history and trivia with you this month. I’m even going to test some new brands of gourmet chocolate in the name of research (yeah, right). 

First things first. Tell me about your relationship with chocolate:

1) Do you eat it as an occasional snack, as part of your daily diet, are you mildly addicted, or is Chocolate a religion with you?

2) Milk, dark, or white?

3) Candy bar, filled bonbon, or liquid?

4) Do you eat it more when you’re happy or sad?

5) Have you ever hidden your chocolate?

As for me, I prefer dark, solid bars (like Dove, Godiva, and Ghirardelli), but can easily be persuaded to eat a bonbon filled with caramel, ganache, or liquid raspberry. I eat a little every day and could easily become addicted. Mood is not a factor when I reach for chocolate. No hiding yet.

For today’s fix, I’m sharing a recipe for hot chocolate, because chocolate was first consumed as a beverage with the ancient Maya and Aztecs thousands of years ago. It really lived up to its name then, too, because it was reddish in color and flavored with chile peppers, vanilla and other spices. Bitter and frothy, xocoatl was precious and prized, and thought to be a source of wisdom and power. It took hundreds of years for hot chocolate to evolve into the sweetened form we know today, as the wonder of cacao spread to Europe and various processing methods were developed.

So, do you know the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate? Many people use the two terms interchangeably. But true chocophiles know that hot cocoa is made from a powdered mix of cocoa, sugar, and thickeners, without cocoa butter. Hot chocolate is made from bar chocolate (dark, semisweet or bittersweet), chopped into small pieces (or shavings) and stirred into milk with sugar. 

Last Christmas, we bought some Guittard bittersweet chocolate shavings, a new porcelain frother, and went beserk. What a HUGE difference. I highly recommend expanding your hot chocolate horizons by using real chocolate bars instead of cocoa powder. The key is good quality chocolate with as few additives as possible. Remember Baron Liebig? He stressed the importance of quality and careful preparation. So treat yourself today and toast the wonder that is chocolate! 

DECADENT HOT CHOCOLATE

1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
3 tsp sugar
1 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat everything in a saucepan, except the vanilla, until chocolates melt and sugar dissolves. Pour half into a blender and mix until foamy. Return to the saucepan, and add vanilla. Stir briefly, then serve topped with whipped cream or marshmallows.

Note: Experiment with this basic recipe by using different types of chocolate, and sweetening to your taste. Stick to milk (or soy milk) only, if you are concerned about calories. 

If you are feeling especially adventurous, try some Mexican or Mayan hot chocolate, to get some sense of where it all started. You just may be one of those who likes hot chocolate even hotter!