Adapted significantly from
David Lebovitz Wittamer's Belgian Hot Chocolate
Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (we like bittersweet but semisweet would work well too)
1 pint fat free half-and-half
tiny pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 dried red chile pepper, sliced open and seeds removed
1 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar
Directions
1. Warm one cup of half-and-half over medium-low heat with chili pepper, chopped chocolate, and pinch of salt, stirring until chocolate is smooth and melted.
2. Whisk in remaining half-and-half a little at a time until chocolate reaches desired consistency. I like my hot chocolate nice and thick, so I only used half a cup. Add brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Remove chili pepper from hot chocolate. (If you like your hot chocolate a little spicier, you could add a pinch of chili powder at this point.)
4. Use a hand-held blender or a whisk to mix the hot chocolate until very smooth. Serve warm in small cups. This is rich and delicious stuff!