Tangle's Hot Chocolate Spotlight: how to make your base

A good hot chocolate comes from a good foundation. When thinking about the base of your drink, you want to consider the pot, the chocolate, and the milk. Remember, different things will work for different people so get creative and try out different combinations until you find one that works for you.









Step one: The pot
Now there's not a whole lot of variations in the type of pot or kettle you can use, but you do have options.

• First, the clay pot. You'll find these online and in some Asian groceries. Clay pots tend to absorb flavors, and can make bitter tastes more mild. If you use very dark chocolate for the health benefits, or add tahini, miso, or espresso into your drink this will help highlight the underlying flavors by dialing down all that bitterness. Remember clay pots hold onto flavor profiles, so it's best if you use one dedicated to hot chocolate instead of using one for all your hot drinks.
• Then we have the ceramic pot. Ceramic pots don't have a lot of influence on flavor, but are great for presenting your drink to guests. They tend to be breakable and chip easy, though so it's best used for special occasions
• Metal pots such as copper or stainless steel also have no affect on flavor, but they do retain heat very well. If you have a long day inside and don't want to have to reheat your hot chocolate as often, then using a metal pot would be best.
• Finally, glass pots have little to no affect on heat or taste, but are great for aesthetic drinks like the ones that are blue or pink, or maybe have berries floating in them.

Step two: The chocolate

There are different types of chocolates you can use based on flavor, sweetness, health benefits, or even price. The big four are:

• White chocolate. Many will argue that white chocolate is not real chocolate, just like white itself is not a real color. I say it's all semantics. White chocolate is usually made with cocoa butter instead of the cocoa plant, and has a lot of milk and sugar in it. Great to use if you want a specific color for your hot chocolate, or don't want too many flavors competing with your mix ins.
• Semi Sweet dark chocolate. This is basically dark chocolate with more sugar in it. It's usually used for baking but is a budget friendly option due to it's easy availability in grocery stores.
• Milk chocolate: every kid's favorite. Milk chocolate usually has at least 25% cocoa solids in it, and the amount of actual chocolate to milk depends on the company and brand. This chocolate is typically softer and melts easier, so it's great if you're short on time.
• Dark chocolate: This chocolate is the most bitter because there is no milk added. Depending on the brand, you'll find anywhere from 30% - 80% actual cocoa in it. The more pure it is, the drier/chalkier it will be. It tends to have a bitter aftertaste but can lower blood sugar when consumed in moderate amounts.

Step three: The milk

It's hard to wrap your head around all of the different options you have for the liquid foundation of your hot chocolate these days. A few decades ago your choices were basically cow's milk or water. Well, here's what we have now:

• Almond milk: You can get this sweetened, unsweetened, or flavored. It makes the drink nice and creamy, and has the barest hint of almond taste so it pairs great with other nut-based items like hazelnut mix-ins or chopped nut toppings.
• Cow's milk: The original. Good source of protein and brain vitamins.
• Oat milk: great for someone with a lot of allergies. There are no nuts, no soy, and no lactose.
• Hemp milk: makes your drink incredibly creamy, and can lower blood pressure when consumed in moderation.
• Rice milk: The sweetest milk by far, and also good for blood pressure.
• Soy milk: has a lot of nutrients, but also has plant-based estrogen so not a great idea if you're already sensitive to hormone imbalances or on a hormone treatment plan.
• Coconut milk: lower in calories than the other milk options, has a subtle sweet taste so it won't overpower anything, and can raise good cholesterol.
• Water: zero affect on taste, but also zero calories and free of cost in most places.

Figure out what combinations work best with your personality and your budget. There are so many possibilities, I think you could spend a good couple of months just perfecting the foundation of your hot chocolate alone!