Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort

by Fred Thompson

Hot chocolate is not just a children's drink anymore: In recent years it has become a connoisseur's beverage served in trendy coffeehouses and appearing on upscale restaurant dessert menus. What many people think of as hot chocolate, however, is really hot cocoa - a little chocolate flavor with a lot of hot milk. In Hot Chocolate, Fred Thompson offers 50 recipes for serious hot chocolate, made with high-quality milk, dark, or white chocolate; whole milk, skim milk, cream, water, or milk alternatives; and a variety of flavorings, such as peppermint, orange, cinnamon, coffee, liqueurs, peanut butter, and raspberry - even chai tea! The book provides a fascinating history of hot chocolate and lots of useful tips on how to make fabulous hot chocolate, which kinds of chocolate to use, and how to garnish the drinks, plus bonus recipes for homemade marshmallows and perfect whipped cream. There is also a chapter on preparing high-quality homemade hot chocolate mixes that can be given as gifts. With stylish full-color photos showcasing sumptuous variety, the IACP award-nominated Hot Chocolate is a great gift for anyone who loves chocolate.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Fred Thompson is a chef and food author from Raleigh, North Carolina.


Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot cocoa is such a comfort drink, I look forward to cold weather just to be able to make a steaming pot of wicked goodness. As the author points out, chocolate can be good for us when eating or drinking dark chocolate. That’s as much incentive as I need to look at the various recipes and pictures in this book.

There are quite a few hot chocolate drinks in here, so even if one doesn’t like classic hot cocoa, there are recipes with a twist, such as Mystic Southeast Asian Hot Chocolate (lemongrass and curry) or Turkish-Style Mocha (cardamom and coffee). The recipes are well represented, and the pictures are lovely, everything in full colour. That’s my type of cookbook.

I was fortunate to grow up in a household where Dutch cocoa was the standard ingredient for our hot chocolate forays. Additionally, clove, allspice, cinnamon, and aniseed would also be thrown into the saucepan. The trick was in the stirring, making sure it’s thick enough to warrant the effort. No whipping cream for us, as that would take away the focus from the chocolate. Rich and creamy and oh-so-good on a rainy, cold evening. That’s why I really like this book, because instead of that weird “hot chocolate” that is made by Starbucks-type establishments, these recipes are really for cocoa lovers.

Book Season = Winter (stormy decadence)

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew there were so many types of hot chocolate! But, I am very glad there are!

[sophie]

Austrian hot cocoa BUST DEOWNNNN😍😍😍🤤🤤🤤🤤

[Shoshana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I haven't made any of the recipes yet, and it's totally possible that my rating will change once I do (and I plan to), but I'm just saying, I cook and bake ALL THE TIME and I keep my house well-stocked in chocolate, yet there is not one single recipe in this book that I actually have all the ingredients for.

[Clare :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE hot chocolate!!!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm planning a hot chocolate tasting and this one is going to come in handy someday for that. Really fun recipes.

[Sparky · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for serious research, of course!

[Bumblebee bucks · Rating 3 out of 5]

hohoho .. hot chocolate emang enak yah

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

best drink book ever!!!