The other day, I ended up with four extra bars of milk chocolate that I neither wanted to store or eat. (Four bars as is sounds pretty icky, even to me.) Even more shocking is the fact that I ran out of baking soda or powder, so the usual oven treats were out of the question. Luckily, I suddenly remembered Max Brenner, which I loved to frequent during the holidays back in my college days. This super creamy hot chocolate is inspired by its Suckao “chocolate shot,” a ridiculously rich concoction that you melt over the candle.
Note: I had on hand chocolate from the Japanese brand Meiji. Its milk chocolate is actually less sweet than, say, Hershey’s, which I liked for such a rich drink. Of course, any chocolate will do for this recipe, but Meiji should be in stock at the variety of Japanese specialty stores here in NYC or on good old Amazon.
Ingredients:
- 1 standard sized bar of chocolate
- 2 cups of milk (approx.)
- optional: peppermint candy cane
Directions
In a pot or deep pan, add enough milk to stir and melt the chocolate without sticking and burning. Don’t pour too much; you want to be able to see the chocolate so that it’s easier to tell when the chocolate is thoroughly melted.
Break up or chop the chocolate bar into chunks. For the rich, creamy consistency a la Max Brenner, use up to an entire bar. For a slightly less sweet treat, start with half. Using a rubber spatula, stir until all the chocolate chunks are melted, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the milk boil.
Add the rest of the milk bit by bit to taste. I only used about 1/3 quart of milk, but in real Max Brenner fashion, the hot chocolate I made also needed a glass of hot water on the side. For a drink that goes down a little more smoothly, opt for two cups total.
Ladle into your favorite mug. Optional: pop in a candy cane for a holiday twist of minty cool. Stir and enjoy!
Keep reading for more holiday recipes
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Christine Wei is the Associate Editor of New York Family. When she’s not busy editing articles, you can bet that she’s inhaling more calories than she should. She can be reached at cwei [at] manhattanmedia [dot] com.
