Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
To scald milk is to bring it to the brink of a boil. Do not allow it to bubble. Watch it carefully. Recipe by John Broening. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
2 cinnamon sticks
4 ounces finely grated 70 percent bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces finely grated milk chocolate
3 cups milk
Pinch salt
Marshmallows and grated bittersweet chocolate as a garnish
Directions
Place the cinnamon sticks in a skillet and toast over medium heat until fragrant.
Place both chocolates in a small stainless-steel bowl. Grind the cinnamon in a spice grinder. Combine milk, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan and bring just a boil. Pour over the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to sit for 5 minutes, then stir to combine. Return the mixture to the pot and reheat over low heat. Serve in warm mugs, garnished with chocolate shavings and marshmallows.
Chocolate Pudding
The Post’s William Porter was writing for the Food section long before he started reviewing restaurants. Here’s his take on a classic, from 2000: The stuff you get in grocery-store boxes is all well and good, but making it at home delivers delicious pudding along with a huge quotient of “oohs” and “ahhs.” The new edition of “The Joy of Cooking” has a terrific version. This recipe serves 4-5 people. It takes a bit of time, but is well worth the effort.
Ingredients
½ cup sugar 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup water1 ounce finely chopped semisweet chocolate
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
Set aside 4-5 cups or ramekins, sized for 5- or 6-ounce portions.
Mix sugar, cocoa and salt thoroughly in a heavy saucepan. Gradually stir in water, making a runny paste. Stirring constantly, bring this to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat.
Add 1 ounce finely chopped semisweet chocolate, stirring briskly until melted. Stir in 1¾ cups half-and-half.
Place 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a mixing bowl; gradually add ¼ cup half-and-half, making a smooth paste. Stir this cornstarch paste into the chocolate mix.
Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mix begins to thicken.
Reduce heat to low. Stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in 1½ teaspoons of vanilla.
Pour into pudding bowls, then refrigerate for 2 hours to 2 days. (Hint: Press some plastic wrap over the top of the pudding to prevent a hard skin from forming.) Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Chocolate Milk Stout Brownies
The malt in the milk stout intensifies the flavor of the chocolate in these brownies. From Little Raven Vineyards in Denver, makes about 9 servings.
Ingredients
1 cup stout (such as Left Hand Brewery Milk Stout), room temperature, foam skimmed off
16 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, divided into 12 ounces and 4 ounces
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Bring the stout to a boil in a medium saucepan; cook until it is reduced to about ½ cup of liquid, about 12 minutes. Let the stout cool and set aside.
Stir in 12 ounces chocolate and 1 cup of the butter in a medium metal bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water. (If you have a double boiler, use it.) Melt the chocolate and butter slowly until smooth.
Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture, then ¼ cup stout from the pan. Fold in flour and 1¼ teaspoon of the salt. Pour batter into the prepared, foiled pan.
Bake brownies until the surface begins to crack and a tester inserted into the center, comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 to 40 minutes. (Be sure not to overcook; brownies are always best to the underdone side.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
Glaze: In the meantime, stir the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate in a medium bowl again set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Add reserved ¼ cup of reduced stout, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the last ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk together the mixture until well blended.
Pour warm glaze over brownies. Let them stand at room temperature until the glaze is set, about 40 minutes. You can make these ahead, let cool and stand at room temperature. When you are ready to serve, use the overhanging foil, lift the brownies out of the pan and cut into squares. If you want to make them a day ahead, cut into squares when cool and cover tightly.
