Hot chocolate

[glenn]

I'm looking for a premium hot chocolate to serve in a cafe. Someone recommended Ghiradelli which I plan to try. What else? Jacques Torres is out - they won't sell their hot chocolate unless you buy their candy.

I'm also going to the Chocolate Show in NY tomorrow and these are the exhibitors. Anyone that I should make a point of seeing?

[melkor]

Just make your own. We use shaved E. Guittard dark chocolate and a little sugar. Mix them with milk and steam together on your espresso machine. Simple and far better than any of the packaged alternatives since the frothed milk has a much better texture.

[KatieLoeb]

I'm looking for a premium hot chocolate to serve in a cafe.  Someone recommended Ghiradelli which I plan to try.  What else?  Jacques Torres is out - they won't sell their hot chocolate unless you buy their candy.

I'm also going to the Chocolate Show in NY tomorrow and these are the exhibitors.  Anyone that I should make a point of seeing?

←

This won't solve your hot chocolate crisis, but don't miss trying the artisinal chocolates from Jubilee Chocolates of Philadelphia. Their stuff is AMAZING!! The Honey Lavender is to die for and the Mint is the freshest you'll ever taste.

[glenn]

It was only at the last second I decided to go. I figured that this event would not be very conducive to my diet which I'm struggling with :)). Thanks for waving temptation at me, Katie.

Just make your own.  We use shaved E. Guittard dark chocolate and a little sugar.  Mix them with milk and steam together on your espresso machine.  Simple and far better than any of the packaged alternatives since the frothed milk has a much better texture.

←

How much work is it? I don't have a culinary background but I'm hiring someone who does. And speaking of espresso machines, I won't have one, at least at the onset. Just coffee and tea to start. But, I'm looking for a frothing machine - the extremely reliable source that recommended ghirardelli, reocmmended this Saeco. Any thoughts?

[melkor]

It's almost no work, we toss a few hunks of chocolate into the food processor with the grating disc in it and then dump the chocolate into a plastic tub for use. 3tb of chocolate & 1tb of sugar in the bottom of the mug then fill it 3/4 of the way with milk and steam it.

That Saeco seems like a reasonable option - I've got no experience with anything like it, but from the description it looks like it'll get the job done. Larger commercial espresso machines will heat the milk much faster, the Saeco may fall behind if things get busy but it's a reasonable start.

[jgm]

It's almost no work, we toss a few hunks of chocolate into the food processor with the grating disc in it and then dump the chocolate into a plastic tub for use.  3tb of chocolate & 1tb of sugar in the bottom of the mug then fill it 3/4 of the way with milk and steam it.

That Saeco seems like a reasonable option - I've got no experience with anything like it, but from the description it looks like it'll get the job done.  Larger commercial espresso machines will heat the milk much faster, the Saeco may fall behind if things get busy but it's a reasonable start.

←

If you're also serving liquor, a tad bit of butterscotch schnapps on a concoction like this, is to die for. I've had hot chocolate made with ground chocolate, sugar, and steamed milk, and it's wonderful, even without the schnapps.

[mb7o]

there's some french brand which i thought was really good, which was basically cocoa and sugar in a packet.

sorry i have absolutely no idea what brand it is, and i've never seen it in stores--it was served at the employee cafeteria of someplace i was in france about 10 years ago (gack). i don't think i'd even recognize it any more if i saw the package.

it was probably something like this:

http://store.yahoo.com/chefshop/landrch5gr.html

here's a short list of reviews i found trying to find out more about the elusive drink from a decade ago. it also includes a link to a recipe at the end

http://starchefs.com/chocolate_lovers/2004...chocolate.shtml

Edited November 11, 2004 by mb7o (log)

[KatieLoeb]

It was only at the last second I decided to go.  I figured that this event would not be very conducive to my diet which I'm struggling with  :)).  Thanks for waving temptation at me, Katie.

I'm only partially sorry for doing this to you, and that's only because I'm a stalwart supporter of local businesses and because the Jubilee Chocolate folks really have their hearts in the right place. If you check out their website you'll see how sincere they are in their commitment to the local community and I have to applaud that. I just have to. Not to mention that their product is so excellent and so tied into supporting local commercial and even non-commercial growers (the elementary school garden mint they use in the mint chocolates) that I have to cheer their efforts to do greater good through chocolate. Heck - how could anyone not support the greater good through chocolate. It'd be downright un-American not to!

[glenn]

Hey Katie, Jubilee wasn't there, or at least I didn't see them and they weren't listed in the schedule book (though they're listed on the website as participanting.)

For the most part, the show was of little help except to confirm what's been said here - homemade is better than anything store bought. I'm convinced after a tasting from, uh, MarieBelle, I think. The show was aimed strictly for the public, not the industry, though there's nothing wrong with that. The chocolate fountains were a sight to behold. I found the larger companies, Payard and Jacques Torres, to have the least knowledgeable people on hand - at least as far as my concerns. Janet at Valrona was the only chocolatier of any substantive help -- thanks.

NY Culinary Institute made hot chocolate in a crock pot, or something like that. Seemed a bit wacky.

[KatieLoeb]

Hey Katie, Jubilee wasn't there, or at least I didn't see them and they weren't listed in the schedule book (though they're listed on the website as participanting.)

For the most part, the show was of little help except to confirm what's been said here - homemade is better than anything store bought.  I'm convinced after a tasting from, uh, MarieBelle, I think.  The show was aimed strictly for the public, not the industry, though there's nothing wrong with that. The chocolate fountains were a sight to behold.  I found the larger companies, Payard and Jacques Torres, to have the least knowledgeable people on hand - at least as far as my concerns.  Janet at Valrona was the only chocolatier of any substantive help -- thanks.

NY Culinary Institute made hot chocolate in a crock pot, or something like that.  Seemed a bit wacky.

←

Bummer! I did get the impression from the website link upthread that they were participating. Damn shame you didn't get to try their chocolates. They're possibly one of the most amazing artisanal food products I've ever tried in any category. The flavors are insane and insanely well presented. I forgot to mention the Saffron-Rosewater.

[jsolomon]

Jes git yer licker license and serve the hot chocolate with a shot of yer sucker, I mean customer's, favorite imbibation...

Mine would be Frangelico

[Suzanne F]

How about using Mexican or Spanish chocolate, such as Ibarra or Abuelita's (sp?). Available from Nestle, iirc, and really, really good.

In any case, real chocolate melted into milk is better than a powdered mix, no matter where it comes from.

[glenn]

Suzanne, what is the advantage of using Mexican or Spanish chocolate? Is it spicy? I was looking to make a mildly spicy hot chocolate - I assumed I'd just add chile peppers.

One thing I didn't consider - how do I maintain the freshness of the hot chocolate throughout the day?

Edit to add - generally speaking (if there is such a thing), what is the law about adding alcohol to food w/o a liquor license. I assume you can use liquor or wine in cooking to a small extent.

Edited November 12, 2004 by glenn (log)

[jsolomon]

Wow, I'd love to make a general remark about that. But, I really have a nagging suspicion that even those laws change from state to state.

It OUGHT not cause heartburn with the local constabulary if it is cooked off, but you really ought to check (gently) with your local city council if you're going to advertise as such.

[phaelon56]

One thing I didn't consider - how do I maintain the freshness of the hot chocolate throughout the day?

Easy. You make it by the cup. The process of steaming the milk with an espresso machien or a dedicated milk steamer creates the more desirable texture that people have described but this texture doesn't last all day.

If I was looking for absolute best quality and wanted to use a high quality non powedered chocolate that was mixed with sugar.... I would make a batch of my own custom blend chocolate syrup once every few days and keep it refrigerated or evenm just keep a jar of shavings adjacent to the steamer. Add X amount of shavings and X amount of sugar to bottom of pitcher and perhaps even a dash of vanilla extract (or better yet - infuse the sugar with vanilla in advance). Add milk, steam and serve. If there's a bit of hot chocolate left in the bottom of the pitcher and it's a slow time of day just refrigerate the pitcher and add more milk before the next steaming session. This will reduce waste but don't resteam even a small portion of milk more than once. I wouldn't resteam any at all for an espresso drink but for a hot chocolate I don't think the texture would suffer in any noticeable way.

I've checked with other sources and found a few who have heard of a commercial milk steamer but no one who has seen anything other than the Saeco on the market at present.

[lia]

This stuff is the best

I discovered it at the chocolate show two years ago.

[phaelon56]

One thing I didn't consider - how do I maintain the freshness of the hot chocolate throughout the day?

I just saw mention somewhere that City Bakery in Manhattan has some sort of weird machine/gizmo that keeps hot chocolate hot throughout the day. Might be worth checking out but I'd be concerned about waste at the end of the day until you have a relatively predictable daily volume.

[rooftop1000]

glenn

I hat to even say it but I just days ago yossed a very old mylar packet of the best cocoa mix I ever used they had 10 or 12 flavors but....so.... I dont know the name it was part of the "booty" when a store I worked closed. I can post a link to the Philadelphia Confectioners Association...

http://www.rcaphila.org/0/Default.aspx?tabindex=0&tabid=1

drop them an email nice people there

my very well educated boss once thought you could make hot chocolate with cocoa powder....just didnt understand when i added salt, sugar, cinn, and vanilla to her very expensive cocoa pwder

tracey

[glenn]

Owen, thanks for the tip. I'll be in the vicinity of City Bakery tomorrow and check it out. I agree though about waste.

rooftop and lia, I decided that I'm gonna make my own hot chocolate. After being spoiled by it at the Chocolate show in NY, I can never go back.

[glenn]

That weid gizmo machine at City Bakery is a soup warmer :)). I spoke to the assistant manager and she hadn't heard of a new machine. She said the soup warmer was fine for their purposes - bear in mind they go through oodles of hot chocolate a day. I don't know if that system would be conducive for low turnover. Any thoughts?

[rooftop1000]

Ok Glenn but I actually found another packet ...this one is chocolate amaretto... Cocoa Amore by

Coffee Matsers, Spring Grove Illinoise 60081

try and find them for some free samples ....damn tasty as far as mixes go

happy turkeys

and grilled cheeses

tracey

[andiesenji]

Have you considered one of these chocolate machines?

I saw one of these at a coffee place in Orange County last year during the Christmas holidays while staying with friends in Yorba Linda. My friend and I went to quite a few different places and I don't recall exactly where it was but I was very impressed with it.

They mixed the chocolate with coffee or just with milk or cream, adding various flavors to order.

It was an independent store, selling a couple of different lines of packaged coffee beans and pre-ground coffee, as well as a few teas, premium chocolate, chocolates and other candies.

As I recall they had selections of Valrhona, Schokinag, Guittard and Scharffen Berger chocolate, as I bought several pieces of different types.

Anyway, I thought the machine was really clever.

[glenn]

Andie, that machine looks great! But the price, YIKES, $980! Very intriguing though - I'm gonna go see if I can find one to try it. Thx.

[waves2ya]

In the 'ding, ding, ding-a-ling; ding, ding, ding-a-ling' (sleigh ride) season we are in...

A really *hot* hot chocolate can be had at Rockefeller Center's La Maison Du Chocolate - expensive, too - but a must have on the trail of choco grail.

[glenn]

For anyone who cares, I posted about the Minilux over here.