Cinnamon Chocolate of the Morning
A thick, frothy chocolate, beaten with a molinillo in the chocolatière, perfumed with cinnamon and barely sweetened. The drink of philosophers and academicians of the Age of Enlightenment.
A thick, frothy chocolate, beaten with a molinillo in the chocolatière, perfumed with cinnamon and barely sweetened. The drink of philosophers and academicians of the Age of Enlightenment.
Before the day takes me entirely to my weighings and registers, I love this chocolate beaten until frothy. You grate the tablet into a little hot water, turn the molinillo between your palms with patience, and watch the matter thicken and rise: a fine phenomenon, truly, worthy of observation. A pinch of cinnamon, very little sugar, for I take it almost bitter. It is the brew that sharpens the scholar's mind in the early hours.
- •Chocolate tablet — one or two squares (base of the drink)
- •Cinnamon stick — a piece (signature spice)
- •Sugar — very little (light sweetener)
- •Water (or milk) — a bowl (liquid)
Cinnamon Chocolate of the Morning
A thick, frothy chocolate, beaten with a molinillo in the chocolatière, perfumed with cinnamon and barely sweetened. The drink of philosophers and academicians of the Age of Enlightenment.
Why this dish? Lavoisier led a life of clockwork discipline: rising early, he devoted his mornings to science before his duties as Farmer-General. Hot chocolate, a learned and fashionable drink of the Enlightenment, accompanied these studious breakfasts as in all cabinets of enlightened people.
Before the day takes me entirely to my weighings and registers, I love this chocolate beaten until frothy. You grate the tablet into a little hot water, turn the molinillo between your palms with patience, and watch the matter thicken and rise: a fine phenomenon, truly, worthy of observation. A pinch of cinnamon, very little sugar, for I take it almost bitter. It is the brew that sharpens the scholar's mind in the early hours.
Ingredients (period version)
- Chocolate tablet — one or two squares (base of the drink)
- Cinnamon stick — a piece (signature spice)
- Sugar — very little (light sweetener)
- Water (or milk) — a bowl (liquid)
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate 70% — 40 g (base of the drink)
- Milk (or water) — 250 ml (liquid)
- Cinnamon — 1/2 tsp (signature spice)
- Sugar — 1 tsp (optional) (sweetener)
Method
- Chop the chocolate and melt it gently in a little hot milk.
- Add the remaining milk, cinnamon, and a little sugar if desired.
- Heat without boiling while whisking vigorously (or using an immersion blender) to froth.
- Pour into a tall cup and serve hot and frothy.
How it was made : In the 18th century, chocolate was prepared with water in a copper chocolatière fitted with a molinillo (a frothing stick) rolled between the hands to create foam. It was flavoured with cinnamon, sometimes vanilla, and moderately sweetened. It was a luxury drink, a marker of refinement.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a clear glass to see the froth form in layers: a little kitchen experiment to observe like a reaction.
Sources : Philippe Sylvestre Dufour, Traités nouveaux et curieux du café, du thé et du chocolate, 1685 · Menon, La Cuisinière bourgeoise, 1746
Antoine de Lavoisier · Charactorium