As temperatures drop, I begin seeking hot chocolate, Parisian style. I can’t think of a better way to chase away the chills than with a warm, velvety chocolat chaud. It's one of my favourite indulgences and one of the delights of Paris and is served in most cafés. The question is, who serves the best? The answer will change depending on who you speak with and has been debated as much as who makes the best macarons and the best baguette. Below is a list of my favourites of favourites.
№ 01: Café de Flore, located on Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement, is the quintessential French café. The chocolate served here is rich and smooth, but not too sweet, thick, or bitter, and is served steaming along with glasses filled with whipped sweet cream. It draws quite the crowd and is a perfect spot for a break and watch the world go by. I'm not sure I've ever seen this café not crowded, however, the chocolate chaud is heaven and worth the wait to get a seat.
Café de Flore
№ 02: Angelina. For me, nothing beats this rich, complex chaud served in this charming belle époque salon. I am absolutely smitten with this place. Yes, it is packed with tourists and the hot chocolate is close to €7.00, however, in my opinion, it's worth every penny. I brought home a canister and a set of the little cups on my last trip to enjoy any time I like.
Angelina's
№ 03: Known for its delectable ice cream, Berthillon, located at 31 rue Saint-Louis en l’Ile, always has a line wrapped around the corner. During the winter months, Berthillon offers "chocolate affogato" ~ chocolate with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, frothy milk, hazelnut whipped cream and drizzled melted chocolate.
Berthillon
№ 04: This salon de thé knows a thing or two about chocolate. Chocolat Ladurée, as the French call it, is rich, smooth, and luxuriously thick and will leave you with a memorable experience. The chaud is served in a silver teapot with a side of chantilly cream... and best with dessert {wink, wink}.
Ladurée
№ 05: Chocolate artisan extraordinaire, Jean-Paul Hévin, is dedicated to the art of chocolate making. His luxurious and indulgent hot chocolate is a must for any chocolate lover. Whether you order a custom flavoured chocolat chaud or a box of truffles, jean-Paul Hévin never fails to deliver anything short of extraordinary.
№ 05: Chocolate artisan extraordinaire, Jean-Paul Hévin, is dedicated to the art of chocolate making. His luxurious and indulgent hot chocolate is a must for any chocolate lover. Whether you order a custom flavoured chocolat chaud or a box of truffles, jean-Paul Hévin never fails to deliver anything short of extraordinary.
Jean-Paul Hévin chocolate bar on rue Saint Honoré
Honorable mention: If you're in the US, Vosges drinking chocolate is intoxicating.. all of them but I especially love the Parisienne and the Bianca {pictured below}. When visiting Chicago, I make it a point to visit the Lincoln Park boutique to stock up on our favourites and order a cup of hot chocolate before shopping the neighborhood.
Vosges' Bianca: Australian lemon myrtle + lavender flowers + vanilla + white chocolate
If you prefer to make your hot chocolate at home, Dorie Greenspan has generously shared her recipe with us.
Chocolat Chaud: Ladurée, Paris Sweets
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk (750g)
⅓ cup water (80g)
⅓ cup sugar (65g)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely ground (175g)
Instructions:
1. Bring the milk, water, and sugar just to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. The hot chocolate needs to be blended at this point. At Ladurée, this is done with a hand-held blender. If you have this tool, leave the hot chocolate in the saucepan and whip it with the hand-held blender for 1 minute. If you don’t have a hand-held blender, transfer the chocolate to a traditional blender and whip on high speed for 1 minute. The chocolate should be served immediately, while it is still very hot and frothy. Alternatively, you can pour the chocolate into a container to cool; the cooled chocolate can be reheated or served chilled. The chocolate can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.
* To make frozen hot chocolate: Chill the hot chocolate until very cold, stir in ¾ cup cold milk, ice, and whip for 1-2 minutes in a blender.
xoxo,
B
If you would like help in creating a home you love, please contact me at Brenda@atelierdhautedesign.com
If you prefer to make your hot chocolate at home, Dorie Greenspan has generously shared her recipe with us.
Chocolat Chaud: Ladurée, Paris Sweets
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk (750g)
⅓ cup water (80g)
⅓ cup sugar (65g)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely ground (175g)
Instructions:
1. Bring the milk, water, and sugar just to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. The hot chocolate needs to be blended at this point. At Ladurée, this is done with a hand-held blender. If you have this tool, leave the hot chocolate in the saucepan and whip it with the hand-held blender for 1 minute. If you don’t have a hand-held blender, transfer the chocolate to a traditional blender and whip on high speed for 1 minute. The chocolate should be served immediately, while it is still very hot and frothy. Alternatively, you can pour the chocolate into a container to cool; the cooled chocolate can be reheated or served chilled. The chocolate can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.
* To make frozen hot chocolate: Chill the hot chocolate until very cold, stir in ¾ cup cold milk, ice, and whip for 1-2 minutes in a blender.
xoxo,
B
If you would like help in creating a home you love, please contact me at Brenda@atelierdhautedesign.com
Oh,girl!.....
ReplyDeleteYou are very sweet,my dear friend:)))
Just SO appreciate all your advices here and truly delish that one white chocolate.... Looks beyond invited!!!
Xx,
V.
oh this makes me want to go back to paris so badly! the hot chocolate at angelina was divine.
ReplyDelete