Mastering the Art of French Hot Chocolate #CooktheBooks

I just finished reading a fun murder mystery starring chef, Julia Child. The novel was purely fiction but portrayed the chef as a good friend of the protagonist in the story.

The title of the book is, of course, a take on the title of Julia Child's world-renowned cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

This novel was chosen as our April/May Cook the Books Club selection by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. I loved this fun, cozy mystery. Thanks for the introduction Deb, I look forward to the rest of the series.

If you would like to join us in reading this novel and creating a recipe that it inspires you can learn how in the Guidelines post. The more the merrier. At the end of May, Deb will post a round-up of all the recipes that were shared.

The title of my blog post is a take on both the novel and the cookbook. I was inspired to Master the Art of French Hot Chocolate after reading this paragraph, found on page 54 of the e-reader version of the book that I read on my Kindle app.

"Oh, don't go yet," Julia said, suddenly whisking a cup of hot chocolate onto the table in front of me--a treat she knew I couldn't decline. If French coffee was amazing, French hot chocolate was out of this world.

This is a fun novel and the first in a series that features Tabitha Knight, an expat living in France with her grandfather and his partner. She lives across the street from Julia Child and her husband, Paul.

The series, An American in Paris, is part historical fiction and part mystery. Julia Childs and her husband, who worked for the CIA, were stationed in Paris at the address used in the novel. Julia did attend Le Cordon Bleu.

Tabitha Knight and the murder that occurred are strictly fictional. But what fun fiction it is. A cozy mystery that takes place in Paris and features Julia Child. The perfect combination for a quick, easy read. I look forward to the other novels in the series.

There, of course, were tons of food references in this novel as Julia gives cooking lessons to Tabitha. They spend most of their time together at Farmer's Markets and Kitchens, buying the best ingredients to make the best foods.

Drinking this cup of hot chocolate is like drinking a melted chocolate bar. It is dense and thick, like pudding that has yet to set. It is definitely comfort food, bringing back memories of scraping out the pot in which my mom made pudding and eating it before placing it in the sink for cleaning. It even started to form a skin as it cooled.

I recommend serving this in demitasse cups, I used a regular small coffee cup and could not finish it, due to the richness. It is a perfect end to a French dinner party.

Drinks, Desserts, Chocolate, Hot Chocolate,

Drinks, Desserts

French

Yield: 4 demitasse servings

Author: Wendy Klik

French Hot Chocolate

Drinking this cup of hot chocolate is like drinking a melted chocolate bar. It is dense and thick, like pudding that has yet to set.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Ingredients

• 1 c. light cream
• 1 t. powdered sugar
• 1/2 t. espresso powder
• 8 oz. bar bittersweet chocolate (70%), chopped
• Whipped Cream, if desired

Instructions

1. Whisk together the cream, sugar, and espresso powder over medium heat just until it starts to bubble around the edges.
2. Reduce the heat to low, add the chocolate and whisk until completely melted.
3. Divide between 4 (3-4 oz) cups and top with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found at Well Plated by Erin

Nutrition Facts

Calories

509.49

Fat (grams)

40.52 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

24.25 g

Carbs (grams)

32.4 g

Fiber (grams)

4.54 g

Net carbs

27.86 g

Sugar (grams)

21.62 g

Protein (grams)

4.83 g

Sodium (milligrams)

26.17 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

70.86 mg

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