When you have breakfasted both well and amply, if you swallow a generous cup of good chocolate at the end of the meal, you will have digested the whole perfectly in comfort…Out of zeal for science, and by sheer force of eloquence, I have persuaded not a few ladies to make this experiment, although they thought to die of it; in every case they were delighted with the result…Those who habitually drink chocolate are conspicuous for unfailing health and immunity from the host of little ills which mar the enjoyment of life; their weight is also less inclined to vary; and these are two advantages which anyone may verify in society and among people whose diet can be ascertained. –Brillat-Savarin

Whether or not what Brillat-Savarin claims is true, is not of importance; it’s the fact that he wrote it at all. For years we have waged the war with health fanatics, trying to shove carob down our throats, that chocolate is bad for you. Slowly we are coming to discover from various universities and health clinics, that chocolate does in fact contain beneficial health properties such as antioxidants (oooh) and cancer fighting components (aaah). So I say eat with abandon, roll in chocolate syrup, and lap up hot chocolate like it is going out of style!

But for those of you with a more refined palate, whose tongue is craving just a modicum of velvelty smoothness, I offer you Hot Drinking Chocolate. Different from hot cocoa, that wintertime beverage of our youth, and for many, simply an excuse to drown piles of whipped cream in a dessert flavored beverage, or dunk a mellifluous marshmallow or two, drinking chocolate is slightly sweet, veritably rich, and altogether delicious. Drinking chocolate gets its creaminess from actual chocolate and milk, where as cocoa, though the words are often used interchangeably, comes from cocoa powder, a process made by pressing all of the fats– the cocoa butter, from the bean.

Though it may be summer, typically a season we do not associate with hot beverages, I say, “Come on, it’s chocolate!” Sinfully rich, the milk fats skipping across your tongue when you taste it, and the delightful decadence of the entire beverage beckoning you to drink ’til the cup is empty. Try a batch anytime, as dessert or respite from afternoon activity or be truly 18th century, and like Brillat-Savarin have it at the culmination of your morning meal, and see if you are not amply ready for the day ahead.

Hot Drinking Chocolate
2 servings
2 1/2 cups milk, either low or full fat
4 tablespoons grated, good-quality, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

In a small saucepan heat the milk to a simmer, whipping constantly. It is important to incorporate air into the milk, to maintain a frothy consistency. The more fat that is in the milk, the more froth that will be maintained. Add the chocolate and vanilla to the milk, and whip until incorporated. I use a pre-grated chocolate by Dolfin that is 77% cocoa. Sprinkle any remaining chocolate on top, if desired. Pour into cups, or cafe au lait bowls, and enjoy.