flipCinnamon Morning Chocolate
Cinnamon Morning Chocolate
Why this dish? At Versailles, hot chocolate was the luxury drink of the lever, served to sovereigns and courtiers since the 17th century. The king, a big eater, did not disdain this sweet and fragrant comfort to start the day.
A thick hot chocolate, beaten until frothy with a molinillo, flavored with cinnamon: the morning sweetness of the royal apartments.
At my rising, before the affairs of the Kingdom, they bring Me chocolate. It is melted slowly in water, sweetened, a little cinnamon grated in, then beaten with the molinillo until it rises into a fine foam — that is the whole secret. Well hot, it comforts a man before the day's labors. I willingly take a second cup; My table, you know, has never been known for great sobriety.
- •Chocolate tablet (cacao, sugar) — a few squares (base)
- •Water — one cup (melting liquid)
- •Cinnamon — a pinch grated (flavor, signature)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
Cinnamon Morning Chocolate
A thick hot chocolate, beaten until frothy with a molinillo, flavored with cinnamon: the morning sweetness of the royal apartments.
Why this dish? At Versailles, hot chocolate was the luxury drink of the lever, served to sovereigns and courtiers since the 17th century. The king, a big eater, did not disdain this sweet and fragrant comfort to start the day.
At my rising, before the affairs of the Kingdom, they bring Me chocolate. It is melted slowly in water, sweetened, a little cinnamon grated in, then beaten with the molinillo until it rises into a fine foam — that is the whole secret. Well hot, it comforts a man before the day's labors. I willingly take a second cup; My table, you know, has never been known for great sobriety.
Ingredients (period version)
- Chocolate tablet (cacao, sugar) — a few squares (base)
- Water — one cup (melting liquid)
- Cinnamon — a pinch grated (flavor, signature)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate (70%) — 50 g (base)
- Water (or half water, half milk) — 250 ml (liquid)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 pinch (flavor, signature)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 tsp (sweetness)
Method
- Chop the chocolate and melt it gently in hot water (or water + milk) without boiling.
- Add sugar and cinnamon, whisk well.
- Beat vigorously with a whisk (or immersion blender) to froth, like the 'molinillo' of old.
- Pour very hot into a cup and enjoy immediately, ideally with a brioche.
How it was made : Chocolate arrived at the French court in the 17th century via Spain and remained, in the 18th, a marker of refinement. It was prepared with water, vigorously beaten with a 'molinillo' to make it frothy, and flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, or amber.
The contemporary twist : A grating of orange zest and a pinch of fleur de sel transform this royal cup into a chef's hot chocolate for winter mornings.
Sources : Usages de la cour de Versailles, 17th-18th centuries · Menon, La Science du maître d'hôtel confiseur, 1750
Louis XVI · Charactorium
