A while ago, I saw a recipe from Cooking Light for "Barcelona hot chocolate". I've never been to Barcelona and I wasn't familiar with the drink but, apparently, it refers to the combination of hot chocolate and espresso (or coffee) that's popular in Spain and Europe.
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| Hot chocolate and coffee, infused with fresh orange, is wonderfully delicious |
Well, as a girl who makes herself a mocha frappucino almost every morning, I was definitely interested in this combination. In fact, I've also tried stirring cocoa powder into my hot coffee but could never quite get the ratio right.
Since it is most definitely hot chocolate season, my Christmas mugs and cocoa-making equipment have been out and in use. And because I couldn't really stop thinking about this Barcelona hot chocolate, I decided to give this somewhat more grown-up version of hot chocolate a try and I am really happy I did!
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| What's better than eating chocolate with your cup of hot chocolate |
This recipe definitely has the ratios right, in my opinion. It starts with making some delicious hot chocolate with a little bit of bittersweet chocolate, melted down with water, a couple spoonfuls of cocoa powder, and mixed with 1% low-fat milk. The coffee (or espresso; I choose strong coffee) comes next, followed by some sweetness from a couple tablespoons of brown sugar. That's not it...add a strip of orange rind and after about 5 minutes on the stovetop, you have this rich, full-flavored hot chocolate-coffee concoction that's infused with orange flavor! It was a very pleasant surprise.
I topped my cups of Barcelona hot chocolate with some milk foam, latte style. I have a very inexpensive handheld milk frother that does a very good and quick job of frothing up some warm milk. I ladled a bit on top, dusted some cocoa powder over it, and added a little bit of orange zest to give you an idea of what's in the drink.
It's so, so good. You have rich hot chocolate, not overly sweet, blended with deep notes from coffee and made even more interesting and delicious with the orange flavor. If this appeals to you, do give it a try!
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| The little piece of orange rind peeping through the mixture provides a big boost of flavor |
You could splash in a little orange liqueur for even more oomph but I'm almost glad I didn't because it really didn't need it. It will sound strange but it tasted almost like it had a splash of Grand Marnier in it already!
If you don't like orange with chocolate, you could omit the orange rind and leave it plain, or add other liqueurs to your liking to make things interesting. I think the base recipe for this hot chocolate and coffee combination is a great balance that you can play with.
If you don't like orange with chocolate, you could omit the orange rind and leave it plain, or add other liqueurs to your liking to make things interesting. I think the base recipe for this hot chocolate and coffee combination is a great balance that you can play with.
As you can see, the drink is dark and rich. I think the brown sugar works really well in deepening the flavors. You could top the drink with classic whipped cream but I'm really glad I was out of cream and bypassed the ready-made stuff in the canister for some milk foam. It adds just a nice little extra creaminess and sweetness without being overpowering.
Have I convinced you to try this yet? Regardless, I hope you enjoy a few good mugs of hot chocolate/cocoa this holiday season. Generally, I try not to drink all my calories but I'm willing to trade a few of my morning mocha fraps for this, particularly during the holiday season. It will fortify you and make you ready to tackle that pile of Christmas presents that need to be wrapped!
Recipe:
Barcelona Hot Chocolate
From Cooking Light, scaled down to 2 servings
- For 2 servings -
1/3 cup boiling water
1 ounce good-quality dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), finely chopped
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee (I used coffee)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1-inch (or so) piece orange rind strip
Optional topping suggestions: milk foam*, whipped cream, fat-free whipped topping, cocoa powder, orange zest
Place boiling water and chocolate into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir together until chocolate melts. Add milk, espresso or coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and the orange rind. Cook, over medium-low heat, stirring gently with a whisk. Heat for about 5 minutes, until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan, stirring frequently (do not boil). Discard orange rind and distribute the hot chocolate between 2 cups.
Serving suggestion: Top each cup of hot chocolate with milk foam, dust lightly with cocoa powder and add a sprinkle of fresh orange zest.
* To make milk foam, I place a few tablespoons of whole milk (low-fat milk also works) in a glass and warm it in the microwave. Froth the milk with a handheld electric frother and spoon some of the foam over the top of your drink.
One more thing before I go...do you like to top your hot chocolate with marshmallows? I'd generally answer 'no' to that question but I've had this urge to top a cup with some toasted marshmallows. I must be looking for ways to put my little kitchen blow torch to use! So while my husband and I were enjoying our Barcelona hot chocolates, the little guy had a regular cup with some rather toasty marshmallows.
However you like to enjoy your cup of cocoa...Happy hot chocolate season!
Recipe:
Barcelona Hot Chocolate
From Cooking Light, scaled down to 2 servings
- For 2 servings -
1/3 cup boiling water
1 ounce good-quality dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), finely chopped
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee (I used coffee)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1-inch (or so) piece orange rind strip
Optional topping suggestions: milk foam*, whipped cream, fat-free whipped topping, cocoa powder, orange zest
Place boiling water and chocolate into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir together until chocolate melts. Add milk, espresso or coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and the orange rind. Cook, over medium-low heat, stirring gently with a whisk. Heat for about 5 minutes, until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan, stirring frequently (do not boil). Discard orange rind and distribute the hot chocolate between 2 cups.
Serving suggestion: Top each cup of hot chocolate with milk foam, dust lightly with cocoa powder and add a sprinkle of fresh orange zest.
* To make milk foam, I place a few tablespoons of whole milk (low-fat milk also works) in a glass and warm it in the microwave. Froth the milk with a handheld electric frother and spoon some of the foam over the top of your drink.
One more thing before I go...do you like to top your hot chocolate with marshmallows? I'd generally answer 'no' to that question but I've had this urge to top a cup with some toasted marshmallows. I must be looking for ways to put my little kitchen blow torch to use! So while my husband and I were enjoying our Barcelona hot chocolates, the little guy had a regular cup with some rather toasty marshmallows.
However you like to enjoy your cup of cocoa...Happy hot chocolate season!
