A cup of haute chocolate for Santa

REGION — There’s no doubt that hot chocolate has become a haute beverage. Restaurants and coffee shops in metropolitan areas all over the country are serving $3 to $5 cups of liquid chocolate in a myriad of flavors. If you visit Serendipity 3 in Manhattan, you can shell out $25,000 for a cup featuring top-grade cocoa from 14 countries, edible gold, shavings of a luxury truffle and milk, all served in a goblet decorated with one carat of diamonds and served with a golden spoon diners can take home.

While Serendipity’s hot chocolate was created to gain entry in the famous Guinness Book of World Records, many restaurants are really pulling out the stops when it comes to serving up this traditional old favorite. From chilies to lavender, executive pastry chefs are experimenting with premium chocolate and gourmet flavorings to produce their custom versions of the decadent drink. Making hot chocolate for patrons has even become a form of entertainment at some restaurants like Lucy, a Mexican restaurant in New York City, where heated milk is mixed tableside with two Mexican chocolates and then frothed with a molinillo (a wooden tool about 18 inches long with a carved, bulbous end) by a waiter who rubs it between his palms like a Boy Scout creating a fire until a foaming drink is produced.

Most haute hot chocolate is made from drinking chocolate, which are chocolate shavings from solid chocolate as opposed to powdered cocoa. Experts agree that dark premium chocolate produces the best tasting hot chocolate. Use candy canes, cinnamon sticks, rock candy sticks and chocolate-covered peppermint sticks as stirrers to add flavor. Transfer gourmet-flavored syrups to squirt bottles so kids can experiment. Include cinnamon, nutmeg and sprinkles to decorate dollops of whipped cream. To top things off, include bowls of mini marshmallows, flavored gourmet marshmallows, marshmallow fluff and a can of real whipped cream.

Basic Haute Hot Chocolate

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups milk

1½ oz. high-quality chocolate (dark, white or milk), chopped. (Save time by using 1½ oz. semi sweet, bitter sweet or white chocolate chips.)

Place the milk and chopped chocolate (adding sugar to taste) in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk periodically until the mixture reaches the boiling point and is foamy. Remove from heat and, if more foam is desired, use a wire whisk or hand-held blender to whip the hot chocolate.

Hot Chocolate Variations

Snowplow: Combine basic hot chocolate with Irish cream and coconut flavorings. Top with whipped cream and grated white chocolate.

Peppermint Patty: Flavor hot chocolate with peppermint syrup or candy. Top with whipped cream, crushed peppermint candy and grated dark chocolate.

Aztec: Add ground cinnamon and a dash of chili pepper to basic hot chocolate.

S’More: Before filling mug, wet the rim with water and dip it in graham cracker crumbs. Fill with hot chocolate and top with marshmallows and grated dark chocolate.

Liquid Snickers: Add shots of hazelnut, caramel syrup or butterscotch to hot chocolate. Top with whipped cream and crushed peanuts.

Article courtesy of the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc.