Low carb hot chocolate, no sweeteners

[Antje77]

I know there are threads and posts on hot chocolate but unfortunately the search bar doesn't pick up words of fewer than four letters. So a search gives me lots of posts containg the word chocolate but it's hard to find the ones about the drink, not the bar, so I started a new thread on it.

I have friends coming over this weekend and I challenged their children (8-13) for a cold swim outside, and promised I'd take care of the hot chocolate for warming up again.
I love hot chocolate, and I haven't had one in over 7 years, and I don't want to miss out this time!

My idea was to heat cream and water and pour it over 85% chocolate. Has anyone tried this and does it work? Any issues with the mixture separating?
I can bring sugar for the children to sweeten it a bit more if they want to, I expect it will be sweet enough for me as it is.

No sweeteners, I absolutely hate the taste of them.

Any tips welcome!

 

[MrsA2]

Cocoa powder, 1 heaped teaspoon per portion. Add milk or water just to wetten it well. ( in a jug)
heat in a pan milk ( can add cream) until very hot. Pour the hot milk over the wetted mixture stirring well. You can at this point return it all to the pan and reheat stirring well.
Pour back into individual mugs, adding sugar to those who want it.
Can top with whipped cream and grated chocolate
Can add a splash of brandy, whisky or Baileys for adults.

I've tried hard chocolate in the past , never got it to work successfully. Will be interested if anyone else has

 

[lovinglife]

If you grate the chocolate first and heat the liquid to hot not boiling and give it a really good whisk then it should work a treat,
The secret is in the whisking to blend the fats from the cream & chocolate, after I’ve whisked it I reheat it again a little as the whisking cools it down - make sure not to make it start to bubble though as this is what causes the split

Hubby got me some 85% hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (do they have this brand in your part of the world?) and all it is is their 85% chocolate grated and packaged and sold for a far more expensive price

Have a great weekend with your friends

 

[AndBreathe]

If you grate the chocolate first and heat the liquid to hot not boiling and give it a really good whisk then it should work a treat,
The secret is in the whisking to blend the fats from the cream & chocolate, after I’ve whisked it I reheat it again a little as the whisking cools it down - make sure not to make it start to bubble though as this is what causes the split

Hubby got me some 85% hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (do they have this brand in your part of the world?) and all it is is their 85% chocolate grated and packaged and sold for a far more expensive price

Have a great weekend with your friends

Putting a cold bar of their 85% through the food processor works well. Just store the shavings in a clip top pot in the fridge. This is how my OH does it.

 

[Antje77]

Hubby got me some 85% hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (do they have this brand in your part of the world?) and all it is is their 85% chocolate grated and packaged and sold for a far more expensive price

No Hotel Chocolat in my part of the world, but my local supermarket sells their own brand of 85% which I like much better than even the Lindt at only €1.65 for a 100 gram bar. Which is why I went back from 90 to 85%.
I don't own any of the multitudes of @AndBreathe 's fancy kitchen implements (much as I love to read about them) but I'm sure my old fashioned cheese grater can grate chocolate just as well with a little more muscle work but less hassle with washing up.

If you grate the chocolate first and heat the liquid to hot not boiling and give it a really good whisk then it should work a treat,
The secret is in the whisking to blend the fats from the cream & chocolate, after I’ve whisked it I reheat it again a little as the whisking cools it down - make sure not to make it start to bubble though as this is what causes the split

Please explain again for dummies. When do I whisk and when do I add the grated chocolate?

Can add a splash of brandy, whisky or Baileys for adults.

I plan to, but it will have to be a very moderate splash, I'm driving.
I might buy one of those yuck whipped cream spray cans to make the children (and the dogs!) happy though!
The hot chocolate will have to be brought to the swimming spot in a thermos. Will of course share a picture!

 

[EllieM]

Our local supermarket has taken to stocking 100% Lindt chocolate, which to my surprise has more carbs per 100g than the 90 or 95%.

And it looks like raw cacao powder has 3g of carbs per 15g serve

Nutritional facts for Cocoa powder, raw (cacao) | KetoDiet Data

KetoDiet Data - Nutritional facts for Cocoa powder, raw (cacao)

ketodietapp.com

 

[Antje77]

Our local supermarket has taken to stocking 100% Lindt chocolate, which to my surprise has more carbs per 100g than the 90 or 95%.

And it looks like raw cacao powder has 3g of carbs per 15g serve

Definitely something I'm going to google tomorrow.
However, I'm not worried about 3 grams of carbs, especially not right after swimming outdoors in februari on my half of the globe.

 

[lovinglife]

Warm your cream until just below boiling in pan or wide jug, sprinkle in the grated chocolate- I would use 3 - 4 heaped teaspoons per person, then whisk like crazy until it’s all smooth & silky then heat up a little bit more without boiling (oh and you are far from a dummy - except when you call yourself a dummy! )

 

[AndBreathe]

No Hotel Chocolat in my part of the world, but my local supermarket sells their own brand of 85% which I like much better than even the Lindt at only €1.65 for a 100 gram bar. Which is why I went back from 90 to 85%.
I don't own any of the multitudes of @AndBreathe 's fancy kitchen implements (much as I love to read about them) but I'm sure my old fashioned cheese grater can grate chocolate just as well with a little more muscle work but less hassle with washing up.

Please explain again for dummies. When do I whisk and when do I add the grated chocolate?

I plan to, but it will have to be a very moderate splash, I'm driving.
I might buy one of those yuck whipped cream spray cans to make the children (and the dogs!) happy though!
The hot chocolate will have to be brought to the swimming spot in a thermos. Will of course share a picture!

Your grater would work, although I'd suggest a finer option. Just mind the fingers.

 

[lovinglife]

Your grater would work, although I'd suggest a finer option. Just mind the fingers.

Sorry @AndBreathe going to disagree with you there if you grate too fine you will “lose” a lot of your chocolate to the grater, it will clump and stick inside- I’d go for the chunkier grate, it’s going to melt just as well

 

[AndBreathe]

Sorry @AndBreathe going to disagree with you there if you grate too fine you will “lose” a lot of your chocolate to the grater, it will clump and stick inside- I’d go for the chunkier grate, it’s going to melt just as well

I find if the chocolate is cold enough it isn’t an issue, although I’m guessing graters vary in fineness (is that a word?)

 

[Keith Saunders]

Just bought raw cacao powder and add 15g of that to warmed milk, whisking well. It's a little bitter, but not bad at all.

 

[barrym]

<snip>but unfortunately the search bar doesn't pick up words of fewer than four letters. So a search gives me lots of posts containg the word chocolate<end>

Any tips welcome!

Put the search in quotes eg "hot chocolate".

Is that the sort of tip you wanted?

 

[lovinglife]

I find if the chocolate is cold enough it isn’t an issue, although I’m guessing graters vary in fineness (is that a word?)

If fineness isn’t a word then it certainly should be! I suppose it depends on the thickness off the block of choc too, the thin bars can warm up pretty quickly. In fact if it was a bar of Lindt say, I would just chop it up with a sharp knife to be honest. I HATE washing graters

 

[Antje77]

Put the search in quotes eg "hot chocolate".

Is that the sort of tip you wanted?

You're a genuis @barrym , I wish I had known this trick years ago!

 

[barrym]

You're a genuis @barrym , I wish I had known this trick years ago!

<blush>

 

[Antje77]

I find if the chocolate is cold enough it isn’t an issue, although I’m guessing graters vary in fineness (is that a word?)

My grater has 4 sides, 3 of which grate in varied fineness.

If fineness isn’t a word then it certainly should be! I suppose it depends on the thickness off the block of choc too, the thin bars can warm up pretty quickly. In fact if it was a bar of Lindt say, I would just chop it up with a sharp knife to be honest. I HATE washing graters

It's definitely cold enough in my kitchen at around 8°C currently.
I simply wash my grater by first hitting the countertop a couple of times and sticking my hand in and wiggle to get rid of all the loose bits, and then I run under the hot tap and wash it, takes less than 15 seconds.
But I use hard mature cheeses usually, the softer ones tend to stick.

 

[Antje77]

<blush>

Seriously, you have no idea how often I have cursed the forum for not including shorter words in a search when I was a moderator!

 

[Melgar]

However, I'm not worried about 3 grams of carbs, especially not right after swimming outdoors in februari on my half of the globe.

Sorry right off topic, swimming outdoors, that is very popular here in Canada. Do you swim in the winter for health reasons? I have heard only good things about these penguin dips. Raises your immune system, helps with mood and general well-being. Does it lower your blood sugars?

 

[Antje77]

Sorry right off topic, swimming outdoors, that is very popular here in Canada. Do you swim in the winter for health reasons? I have heard only good things about these penguin dips. Raises your immune system, helps with mood and general well-being. Does it lower your blood sugars?

Not for health reasons really, but because it makes me happy. So I guess that's a health reason too, mental health may be the most important part of health.
And yes, it drops my BG like a brick, especially when the water is close to freezing. Makes for an interesting experiment with my insulin, with a satisfying touch of YOLO.
Here's my thread about it: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cold-water-swimming-and-diabetes.200255/