d.i.y drinking chocolate

Ah, Chocolate. The food so beloved that eating it wasn't enough, so we turned it into a drink, too.

I came up with this Drinking Chocolate recipe when I had a hankering for a hot chocolate made with dark chocolate, and didn't want to pay $6 for one at a cafe. I Know that many cafes' secret to amazing hot chocolate is using actual chocolate pieces, stirred and melted into hot milk.

I decided to take this concept one step further for my home pantry version: instead of pieces of chocolate, why not grind the pieces into dust, making them ready to spoon into a mug or glass to enjoy in any weather?

Then I thought about a stumbling block with the version - straight chocolate does not take well to being mixed directly with water - it 'seizes'. The problem is, to make iced chocolate the powdered chocolate mixture needs to be mixed with with a splash of freshly boiled water in order for it to melt, so that when the cold milk is added the chocolatiness gets distributed throughout.

Solution: I added a little sugar and cocoa. Flavour-wise the sweetness of the sugar and the earthy bitterness of the cocoa cancel each other out somewhat, but it also gives this Drinking Chocolate blend the alchemy it needs to be stirrable, dissolvable and quick.

The end result has been a big hit with my family. For the grown-ups, I make it solely with 70% chocolate drops, while for my children I do a mixture of milk and dark.

I should also mention - a jar of this Drinking Chocolate makes a lovely little gift. 
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We hope you love it:)

​Makes approx 200g which is around 10 serves
Prep Time: 10 mins  Cook Time: 0 mins

Equipment you’ll need: a food processor or similar - I use a stick blender that has a bowl attachment. I've also used a coffee grinder with success, although the mixture was a smidgeon coarser.
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Ingredients:
60g caster sugar 
30g cocoa powder- I use alkalised cocoa powder but raw cacao powder also works beautifully
Pinch salt
110g chocolate drops of your choosing - I like to use a combination of milk choc & 70% dark choc but feel free to use whatever chocolate drops you like - 70% dark, 55% dark, milk, white or a combination of all.

Method:
Place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until the mixture reaches a powdery consistency.

Transfer to a jar; it will keep well in the pantry for up to 6 months.

How to use:

• Hot Chocolate: add 3 heaped teaspoons of mix to a mug of hot milk and stir. Add a few drops of vanilla extract if desired. Top with marshmallows and/or cream if feeling decadent.
• Iced chocolate: add 3 heaped tsp to a tall glass and add a splash of boiling water. Stir until dissolved before adding cold milk and a few ice cubes. Add ice cream or cream and an extra sprinkling of the Drinking Chocolate.

Pimp My Recipe
Make this Drinking Chocolate extra special by adding a piece of vanilla bean to the jar of dry chocolate mixture; over time the vanilla flavour and scent will permeate through the chocolate. You can also add a few drops of vanilla extract to your hot or iced chocolate.

At Christmas time, serve hot or iced chocolate with a candy cane as a swizzle stick - it adds a festive peppermint twist.

For a hot chocolate with a spicy kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. This is the ultimate winter warmer!

Add a pinch of spices like cinnamon & nutmeg for Autumn feels.

Mocha anyone? Simply add a shot of coffee to either hot or cold chocolate for a 
delicious caffeine hit.

Going camping, or just fancy having a drinking chocolate mixture that's got just-add-water simplicity? Add some milk powder or coconut milk powder to the mix - you'll need to use about equal parts chocolate drops to powdered milk.