Old-Fashioned Hot Chocolate Recipes

Chocolate or cocoa was not only a beverage for a cold snowy day, but was a favorite luncheon beverage for Victorian ladies. Many, especially those who spent time abroad, also adopted the French habit of breakfasting upon rolls and a cup of hot chocolate. Make your own cup of hot chocolate with one of Baker’s Chocolate favorite recipes from 1886.

Plain Hot Chocolate Recipe

Two ounces of chocolate make a good cup of hot chocolate, and rather thick. Break the chocolate in pieces, put it in a saucepan with a teaspoonful of water to an ounce of chocolate, and set it on a rather low heat. Stir now and then till thoroughly melted. While the chocolate is melting set the quantity of milk desired in another saucepan on the stove, and as soon as it rises, and when the chocolate is melted as directed above, turn the milk into the chocolate little by little, beating well at the same time with an egg-beater. Keep beating and boiling after being mixed, for three or four minutes; take off stove and serve. [From: Cocoa and Chocolate, Walter Baker & Co, 1886]

Plain Sweet Hot Chocolate

Scrape one ounce (one of the small squares) of Baker's or any plain chocolate, fine. Add to this two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and put into a small saucepan with one tablespoonful of hot water; stir over a hot stove for a minute or two, until it is perfectly smooth and glossy; then stir it all into a quart of boiling milk, or half milk and half water; mix thoroughly and serve immediately. If the hot chocolate is desired richer use twice as much chocolate, sugar, and water. [From: Cocoa and Chocolate, Walter Baker & Co, 1886]

Frothed Hot Chocolate Recipe

One cup of boiling water; three pints of fresh milk; three tablespoonfuls of Baker's chocolate, grated; five eggs, the whites only beaten light; two tablespoonfuls of sugar, powdered for froth. Sweeten the chocolate to taste; heat the milk to scalding; wet up the chocolate with the boiling water, and when the milk is hot stir this into it; simmer gently ten minutes, stirring frequently; boil up briskly once; remove from stove, sweeten to taste, taking care not to make it too sweet, and stir in the whites of two eggs, whipped stiff, without sugar; pour into the chocolate-pot or pitcher, which should be well heated. Have ready in a cream-pitcher the remaining whites, whipped up with the powdered sugar; cover the surface of each cup with sweetened meringue before distributing to the guests. [From: Cocoa and Chocolate, Walter Baker & Co, 1886]