Working as a singer in a French cabaret, Gabrielle Chanel acquired the name “Coco” from a popular song of the early 1900s, and she went on to change the course of fashion history. Coco believed that her favorite beverages, red wine and hot chocolate, would keep her young and sooner or later someone was bound to combine the two. The secret of this seductive pairing is a big, fruity red wine, such as Merlot, Shiraz, or Zinfandel.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 cups milk
- 6 ounces red wine
- Whipped cream (optional)
How to Make It
- Combine cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. In a separate saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until it becomes hot, not quite to a boil.
- Add just a few tablespoons of the hot milk into the cocoa mix, and stir into a smooth paste with a wooden spoon. Gradually add the remainder of the milk and continue stirring until fully incorporated.
- Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, add the wine, then froth with an immersion blender until creamy and foamy. Divide into four pre-warmed cups, and top each with whipped cream if desired.