Black and White Wednesday: Lauren's Pale Hot Cocoa

I like chocolate, but I'm far from being a chocoholic. I like a pale, rather insipid, cup of hot cocoa. I mean insipid in the best way possible--comforting but not assertive. It's unashamed nursery food. The most exotic, gourmet hot cocoa blend never charms me quite the way this pale cocoa in its transferware cup and saucer does.


Lauren's Pale Hot Cocoa

1 cup whole milk
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
sprinkle of vanilla powder or dash of vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, whisking in the sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Continue whisking until milk starts steaming heartily, but doesn't quite start to bubble. (You want it steaming enough to be hot, but not so hot it forms that nasty skin.) Pour into a mug or cup and saucer and enjoy immediately.

Susan at The Well-Seasoned Cook hosts Black and White Wednesday.

*****

I made this cocoa to go with a viewing of Cracks. With write-ups at both Small Earth Vintage and Leopard and Lipstick, how could I resist? Go check out their screen caps. 

The film is gorgeously filmed and costumed. Eeriness seeps through even on sunny days. I really loved the cinematography, art direction and costume design. OK, so it's not the best movie ever(!!!), but I found it quite entertaining (it's like a darker The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). Plus, I really like Eva Green in bad-gal roles. I watched the first couple episodes of Camelot, which was embarrassingly bad, but I loved her as Morgan and James Purfoy as Lot of Lothian. Unlike Camelot, I felt that Cracks was well worth the time I put into it!