As the nights draw in, the weather grows colder, and term papers loom ever larger, conversation starts ever-increasingly to revolve around caffeine. People compare how many cups of coffee they’ve had in whispered conversations at the library. Social interactions begin to involve fewer strolls or bookstore-browsing expeditions and more jaunts to cafés for strong black tea to go. Even some professors begin to drop hints that it might be nice if their students plied them with coffee at 8:30 classes.
Often overlooked in this search for stimulants is humble hot chocolate. True, it lacks the jolt of caffeine. Yes, it takes rather more effort than a cup of tea, if you’re doing it right. But hot chocolate provides a creamy comfort that is quite unlike anything its more common cousins can offer.
Sometime this week, on a day when you don’t have an afternoon class, or on a quiet weekend spent studying at home, take forty-five minutes for a hot chocolate ritual. Heat the milk in a saucepan, not a microwave: you want to be able to smell the steam. Grate in the chocolate and watch it swirl and melt as you slowly stir. Pour it into a mug, wrap your hands around it, and breathe it in. Retreat alone to a comfortable chair with a book that has nothing to do with any of your schoolwork. Savour the book and the chocolate slowly. Don’t look at the time. When you’ve finished the cup, you can go back to work.
Better?
Sometimes simply pausing can be as powerful as a triple-shot expresso.
Hot Chocolate
This is how I like my hot chocolate—good and chocolatey, but not too sweet. Experiment with the milk to chocolate ratio to find what you like. You may find that you want to add sugar, or a dash of cinnamon or vanilla. If you use half as much milk and the same amount of chocolate, you can pretend you’re in Paris. If it’s a really bad day, you might need some whipped cream.
- 1 1/2 C milk
- 70g dark chocolate
Heat the milk slowly in a small saucepan, whisking every so often so that it doesn’t curdle. Meanwhile, finely grate the chocolate—think Parmesan rather than mozzarella. Add the chocolate to the milk and stir until it is thoroughly incorporated. Cook for another few minutes so that everything is melded and hot.
You can keep leftover hot chocolate in the fridge and reheat it if you like.
2 servings