A Lovely Cup Of Hot Chocolate.

 Going back to basics.

Winter has so many facets, nuances and feelings. Feelings of comfort being the top of the list. When it is cold outside the yearning for some comfort and well being takes on bigger proportions.

A sort of time where one searches through the whole kitchen establishment to find the perfect panacea for that yearning. Let's face it, this comfort is most of the time equated to the pleasure of eating or drinking. 

We should all have a place on our shelves where we stash our perfect feel good food. Whatever harks us back to the days of our childhood, when all was well with our world. No cares, just fun. In my case, the comfort food dejour is hot chocolate. If I were honest, it would be a home baked apple cake, but those kind of treats are thin on the ground.

At first I was going to make myself a vanilla pudding but then discovered the bottle of cocoa powder and that clinched the deal. I boiled a cup of plant milk, spooned in a heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder along with sugar and let it come to the boil.

That first sip of a proper cup of hot chocolate is priceless and honestly, took me back to my childhood. Is there anything nicer than sipping a cup of it? The decadence of it brightening any grey winter day. Absolutely divine.

One can't compare ready made hot chocolate to the real deal. Of course my version could also be improved upon. A while ago we went to visit the Zotter chocolate factory ( amazing doesn't describe it! ) and there they sold little sticks of chocolate ( from white to dark or vegan ) which one has to let dissolve in a cup of hot milk in order to get the most amazing hot chocolate. A real touch of luxury which I won't buy because that sort of treat would not last for long in our house...

Biggi