Heavenly white hot chocolate...Italian style

Considering I'm living in the south of France, the weather has not been at all Mediterranean recently. We had another flurry of snow yesterday and I can't wait for the temperatures to start rising again. Provence is just not geared up for such cold conditions! But after spending a chilly winter's day outside what better way to warm you up than a hot chocolate? And not just any old hot chocolate either. No, this was a very special Italian style white hot chocolate. The last time Abbey was here there was an International Market on in Aix and they sold THE most delicious white hot chocolate I've ever tasted. It basically tasted just like pure white melted chocolate. Well, we wanted to recreate this rather indulgent drink and treat ourselves to a heavenly, chocolately concoction. The end result was INCREDIBLE. If you're a white chocolate lover, you must try these. And you will want to drink it for the rest of your life.

This picture does not do it justice but, believe me, I have run out of words to describe how scrumpcious this drink is. I also realise that it looks like there's hardly any hot chocolate in here - there isn't but you will not be able to eat any more than this, it is so deliciously rich!

Heavenly White Hot Chocolate serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 cup Cream

3/4 tsp Cornflour

2 tbsp Sugar

100g White Chocolate

Method:

1. Combine 3 tbsp of the milk with the cornflour and whisk together until it is smooth.
2. Combine the rest of the milk, the cream and sugar in a saucepan and heat.
3. When it starts to bubble round the edges add the milk and cornflour mixture and whisk until it's heated through. 
4. Add the chocolate and whisk again until smooth, hot and thick enough to coat a spoon. 
5. Pour into desired mug/glass and enjoy!
   

WARNING!! Do not think about the number of calories each hot chocolate contains before drinking. It will ruin every mouthful. 

I also think these would make the perfect dessert. Served in a shot glass, topped with a raspberry, it would finish a meal off nicely. I just might not be satisfied with the one though!

Go on, spoil yourself...make some raspberry and white chocolate blondies!

Ok so you HAVE to try these. They are diiiivine. That is if you like raspberry and white chocolate, of course. But really, who doesn't? Personally, I think they go together brilliantly, as the tartness of the raspberries balances out the sweetness of the chocolate just perfectly. And white chocolate is very sweet, which is probably why I like it so much. I've always wanted to try making brownies with white chocolate and I'm so glad I did! Brownies in general are just delicious - it's that combination of biting down on a cracked crust on the outside, but then the middle is still all gooey and scrummy. Mmmm...heavenly. The trick is to take them out of the oven before you think you should (which proves a little difficult when you're using an outdate French oven which you have to light with a match! Yes, a match. And never seems to get quite hot enough. Sometimes it does feel like I'm living in the last century here). Apart from that, they're really easy to make. Just hard to stop eating!

Oh, and I have some exciting news! Self-raising flour does exist in France, under the guise of farine de blé avec poudre levante pour gâteaux. Well it's not much of a guise actually, because it literally translates as 'wheat flour with baking powder for cakes', so I don't know why I couldn't find it. It's just a bit of a mouthful! Anyway, I digress. Get baking!

Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies makes about 12

Ingredients:

150g white chocolate

100g butter 

3 eggs

175g caster sugar (although I just used granulated and it worked)

1 tsp vanilla essence

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

175g raspberries (preferably fresh, but I used frozen which didn't seem to matter) 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Line baking tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Break chocolate into a pan and add butter.
4. Melt. 
5. Remove from heat and stir in sugar thoroughly.
6. Add eggs one at a time and then vanilla essence, along with the raspberries. 
7. Stir in flour and baking powder.
8. Pour into prepared tin.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes - it should be ready when a skewer inserted still comes out a bit sticky. 
10. Allow to cool.
11. Remove from tin and peel off paper, then cut into squares.
12. Try one...or maybe two, because be warned, they are very moreish!!