flipFrench Chocolate Frothy with Orange Blossom
French Chocolate Frothy with Orange Blossom
Why this dish? Beaumarchais, a man of the Enlightenment, frequented cafés and salons where debate was held cup in hand. Chocolate, imported from the colonies and beaten with a *moussoir*, was the chic drink of the morning and of writing vigils — the fuel of the pens of the Age of Enlightenment.
A thick, frothy chocolate, perfumed with cinnamon and a drop of orange blossom, whipped with a *moussoir* until it forms a light foam. Bittersweet, voluptuous, perfect for awakening the mind.
Before taking up the pen, I take up the *moussoir*! We grate the chocolate tablet into a little hot water, add milk, a hint of cinnamon, and roll the stick between our palms until we raise a foam as high as a reputation. A drop of orange blossom, no more, otherwise it is the convent and not the café. Drink it burning hot: that is the ink that flows from my veins when Figaro keeps me awake all night.
- •Chocolate tablet (ground cacao, sugar, cinnamon) — one square per cup (base)
- •Water and milk — one cup (liquid)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon — a pinch (spice)
- •Orange blossom water — one drop (signature perfume)
French Chocolate Frothy with Orange Blossom
A thick, frothy chocolate, perfumed with cinnamon and a drop of orange blossom, whipped with a *moussoir* until it forms a light foam. Bittersweet, voluptuous, perfect for awakening the mind.
Why this dish? Beaumarchais, a man of the Enlightenment, frequented cafés and salons where debate was held cup in hand. Chocolate, imported from the colonies and beaten with a *moussoir*, was the chic drink of the morning and of writing vigils — the fuel of the pens of the Age of Enlightenment.
Before taking up the pen, I take up the *moussoir*! We grate the chocolate tablet into a little hot water, add milk, a hint of cinnamon, and roll the stick between our palms until we raise a foam as high as a reputation. A drop of orange blossom, no more, otherwise it is the convent and not the café. Drink it burning hot: that is the ink that flows from my veins when Figaro keeps me awake all night.
Ingredients (period version)
- Chocolate tablet (ground cacao, sugar, cinnamon) — one square per cup (base)
- Water and milk — one cup (liquid)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Cinnamon — a pinch (spice)
- Orange blossom water — one drop (signature perfume)
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate (60-70%) — 60 g (base)
- Whole milk — 40 cl (liquid)
- Water — 10 cl (fluidity)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 tsp (sweetness)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 pinch (spice)
- Orange blossom water — 2 to 3 drops (signature perfume)
Method
- Melt the grated chocolate in hot water, stirring to form a smooth paste.
- Add the milk, sugar, and cinnamon, then heat gently without boiling.
- Perfume with one or two drops of orange blossom water.
- Whisk vigorously with a whisk (or roll a *moussoir* between your palms) until a thick foam forms on the surface.
- Pour boiling hot into preheated cups and serve immediately.
How it was made : In the 18th century, chocolate was prepared in a tinned copper chocolate pot and beaten with a *moussoir*, a grooved stick twirled to raise the foam. Cinnamon, vanilla, or orange blossom varied the perfume. It was drunk mainly in the morning, a sign of bourgeois and aristocratic refinement.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a small coffee cup accompanied by an orange blossom sablé, and top the foam with a stenciled dusting of cinnamon.
Sources : Diderot and d'Alembert, *Encyclopédie*, article 'Chocolat' · David Lebovitz / history of French chocolate in the 18th c.
Beaumarchais · Charactorium
