Bad Hot Chocolate, Awesome Book Giveaway

Yesterday, I had a really terrible hot chocolate. I mean awful.

It was surprising because it was at a cafe where the food is quite good. It was on the menu, for $3.50, advertised as "hot chocolate with whipped cream". Yum.

But when it was delivered, there were some things wrong.

First, there was no whipped cream.

Second, it was made with a mix. Already bad enough, but to add insult to injury, it was improperly mixed, and still lumpy.

Third, it was made with water, not milk. Gross!

So, I sent it back. They were apologetic and offered to re-make it...but I declined. And I got to thinking: what makes a really good hot chocolate? Is it the chocolate itself? The milk? The temperature? The texture? Well, kind of all of the above. For me, it's a rich drinking chocolate like I had at Cafe Angelina in Paris.

What about you? What is your ideal hot chocolate? 

Feel free to chime in, and you'll be entered to win a copy of this AWESOME book by Lara Ferroni entitled Real Snacks: Make Your Favorite Childhood Treats Without All the Junk. I'm a huge fan of Lara's work, and also love her previous recipe book, Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home.

This time, she's back with homemade versions of popular snack treats. Sweet and savory. Some examples:

I do believe I spied a unicorn on those pages! 

OK. So, to review: 

Leave a comment telling me about what makes the ideal hot chocolate, in your opinion (is it from a place? Made with heavy cream, at home? Or perhaps it's just Swiss Miss? I'm curious!). And on October 15 at 5pm EST, I will choose one lucky winner (at random) to get a copy of this great new book by Lara Ferroni. Due to the price of shipping overseas, I can only open this one to US residents.

Update on Monday, October 22, 2012 by Cakespy

UPDATE: THE WINNER!

The winner, chosen at random, was Melissa C, who said "The best hot chocolate can be found on the streets of Spain. It is served warm and has almost a pudding like consistency. It is served to accompany a very special treat: The fresh, hot and dazzling cinnamon ladden churro....."

Yum! Thanks for playing! 

Comments

[jessica]

i typically don't drink soy milk...but one time - on a whim - i order hot chocolate with soy milk, and it was THE BEST, thick, fluffy, and chocolatey hot chocolate i've ever had!

[Caley]

The ideal hot chocolate it white chocolate (I know, that's really weird/wrong!) and supersweet. Marshmallows or whipped cream are always a plus.

[Meister @ The Nervous Cook]

Omigosh, look at that sad thing! That's a cup of nothing right there!

For me, the ideal hot chocolate is as dark, thick, and spicy as possible: In fact, I prefer drinking chocolate with tons of cinnamon and chile to traditional Swiss Miss-y types of chocolate. Oh heavens, how I love warm melted chocolate...

This book looks awesome! I'm going to have to check it out one way or the other. Thanks, CakeSpy!

[Andi]

When I make it at home it is Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate with a drop of vanilla, plus whole milk, whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings on the top.

[Anna Cast]

White Hot Chocolate! With whipped cream...is that an abomination?! :)

[Karly W]

Hot chocolate has to have milk or cream. Just water is NOT an option. This makes the texture creamy, thick & frothy and not just raw and boiled.

[HeatherN]

I will join the chorus of commenters saying milk is necessary for good hot chocolate. I don't have one set way of making mine - I like to experiment with different methods! My favorite of the moment is to heat the cocoa and sugar with just a little water until they are thoroughly dissolved into a thick syrup. Then I slowly add milk and let it heat up again. Delicious! To shake things up, I sometimes add cinnamon. Or whiskey!

[stylefriendly]

The perfect version is a thick hot chocolate on a cold winter day.

[Kellie]

When it comes to hot chocolate, City Bakery in NY has my heart.... dark, seductively rich, and sooo satisfying on a deep level. *sigh*

[Jodi Hall]

Made with milk instead of water and lots and lots of marshmellows.. i even like to put a but of fluff in when i dont have marshmellow :)

[Pam P.]

A great hot chocolate includes a shot of butterscotch schnapps and topped with a dash of cinnamon!

[Angela]

I make Hot Chocolate with my Keurig maker. While I agree that hot cocoa is better made with milk, I have been adding Baileys Toffee Almond Creamer to my Dark Hot Chocolate k-cups. Boy oh boy is it yummy!!!! Add a little mini marshmallows and you have a special treat!!

[Donna]

Definitely homemade with milk, and whipped cream!!!

[Julia]

My new favorite is hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps!! YUM!!

[MichelleV]

Call me crazy, but I am a sucker for Swiss miss with half and half topped with marshmallows.

[TK]

big fat marshmallows in rich chocolate!

[Carmen Lo]

Defintely good quality chocolate (milk chocolate specifically) and I like mine with marshmallow. It reminded me when I was kid, my mom made me chocolate with marshmallow on top. =)

[Alexandra]

Hot chocolate in my home is whole milk, whisked until frothy, a spoonful of sugar, a spoonful of malt powder, and the best dark chocolate I have on hand. I like it topped with cold cold whipped cream whipped into stiff peaks. I love that hot/cold contrast. I do think hot cocoa is a totally different but also delicious option . . . I like Droste cocoa, the way my mom made it for me when I was a kid.

[statgirl]

I don't remember the name of the cafe, but my hands-down favorite hot chocolate I've ever had was at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. It must have been made with real chunks of chocolate and heavy cream, and was sinfully rich and thick and not-too-sweet. I accidentally ordered two servings of it, which came in a large-ish pot and cost me 13 euros, but I didn't regret the extra calories or cost, because it made my people-watching and jet-lag-recovery twice as enjoyable.

[shannon]

I love a rich homemade hot chocolate, made with cocoa powder, sugar, and whole milk. And mini marshmallows on top, of course!

[Melissa C.]

The best hot chocolate can be found on the streets of Spain. It is served warm and has almost a pudding like consistency. It is served to accompany a very special treat: The fresh, hot and dazzling cinnamon ladden churro..... THE BEST.

[laurs]

Must be milk based, smooth, good quality chocolate, and either melting marshmallows or a nice bite of sea salt and caramel. A nice cold day to drink it on doesn't hurt either.

[Karen]

My favorite hot chocolate is Swiss Miss dark chocolate sensation with a shot of Godiva liqueur - any flavor. It's a real hit with guests after dinner during the winter months.

[Ada Wright Swagified teen baker]

swiss mix after a really long cold day outside or with a good book with a bunch of wipcream and mini marshmallows

[mbb]

thick, with DARK chocolate - and a pinch of cayenne!