Hot Chilli Chocolate

Ghastly weather outside right now. Well, it is winter after all and at least the temperature here in Sydney is relatively mild compared to some of my friends and family - we're sitting on 11 deg C.

So today's recipe is for you, my friends and family in places like:

• Melbourne - currently 8 deg
• Queenstown - currently -2 deg (fark!)
• Taupo - currently 5 deg
• Christchurch - currently 7 deg

This should warm you up a bit! Bit of a back story first though ...

Last weekend we were in the Blue Mountains and stopped in at a chocolate boutique. I'm sure you've been in one, or two. You know the ones that suck you in with their divine chocolate aromas and gorgeous shop displays. Yes well I was a pretty soft target on Sunday.

It wasn't so much all the delicious looking chocolate that interested me as much as the range of drinking chocolates. So I bought a lovely tin of Chilli Chocolate - $16.95 for 250gm. It's now what, Thursday evening, and two thirds of the tin has gone. Yip, it was that good. Not that I drank it alone, I did have help from the husband.

We like to drink our chocolate the Italian way, in a small cup and very strong, thick and creamy. That's why there's only a third left in the tin.

Anyway, got to thinking this is nice, but I'll soon need some more ... so read the ingredients and hey presto, I made some this evening. The flavour is pretty much identical, so pat myself on the back for getting the quantities pretty much spot on!

 Chocolate Chilli Powder

And, here it is ready to drink. I make it in a small espresso cup, heat the milk up in the microwave for about a minute until it's bubbling on top and just boiling. You could do this on the stove top but if you're only making it for yourself what's the point? I then add two tablespoons of my chilli chocolate powder (yes, I can hear you!) and give it a jolly good stir. Recipe below.

My cup of hot chilli chocolate

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Hot Chilli Chocolate

75g cocoa powder (I use Dutch 70%)
150g icing sugar (make sure it's pure icing sugar not the icing blend)
75g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Lindt 70%)
1 tsp chilli powder (more or less, it's up to you)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a food processor until a fine powder. The solid chocolate won't mix to a powder though should still be nice fine pieces.

Add to hot milk and enjoy.

Bon Appetite!