It’s December 12th – National Hot Cocoa Day, but that’s not why I made hot chocolate today….It’s cold and rainy here in LA and all I want is hot soup, hot chocolate and a warm fire!
Today’s blog is in two parts — the first is hot chocolate; the second is Churros, my favorite accompaniment with hot chocolate or hot cocoa.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about La Tienda, one of my favorite online shopping sites. Besides their cazuelas, I’ve made many purchases from La Tienda and highly recommend them for any Christmas gifts you might want to buy for your “foodie friends”!
La Tienda sells a huge variety of food products, as well. I love using their Valor Chocolate a la taza for making hot chocolate. It comes out thick and rich. My two other favorite chocolates are made by Vosges and Burdick, but the Valor costs a bit less and is delicious!
I bought a churro pastry maker from La Tienda a while ago and I make churros in another one of my favorite things, my little Cuisinart deep fryer. Actually, this is also a great idea for a Christmas gift – one year, I bought them for several friends – who all LOVE using them!
I’ve fried churros in a skillet before, with varying results – not always great, but when I started making them in my Cuisinart deep fryer, they came out perfectly crispy every time!
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- break up the chocolate
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- melt the chocolate in heavy saucepan
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- add the milk
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- simmer on low until thick
Hot Chocolate a la Taza for 2
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6 squares Valor Chocolate a la taza – chopped
4 cups whole milk
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
In a deep saucepan, over low heat, melt the chopped chocolate – when using Valor Chocolate, 3 squares per serving, usually makes a thick hot cocoa. Slowly add the milk, sugar and cinnamon sticks and whisk until well blended.
Simmer on low heat until the cocoa thickens – usually about 15 minutes. Stir it occasionally. Serve with whipped cream or marshmallows. When I make this with churros, I serve the cocoa ungarnished.  Cheers!
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