Hot Chocolate is one of my favourite winter drinks but not the fancy kind you get from the well-known coffee chains. No, I'm definitely more of a Plain (Megan) Jane when it comes to hot chocolate, so the product itself has got to taste good!
Recently Hasslacher's got in touch to see if I wanted to try their 'Solid Bar' Colombian drinking chocolate* - an opportunity I definitely wasn't going to pass up on! What makes this gourmet Hot Chocolate bar unique is the fact it's 100% pure cacao, made in Colombia, where the finest beans are grown. The brand makes the entire product in the same country as the beans (a rarity these days) and buys the cacao beans directly from the farmers, helping to sustain the fair trade system in Colombia. Hasslacher's 'Solid Bar' hot chocolate is also the only food product in the UK that is hand wrapped in 100% sugarcane fibre, an unbleached by-product of the sugarcane industry.
Is it easy to make?
The process of making a Hasslacher's Hot Chocolate could not be simpler! All you need to do is heat your milk up in a pan, add two squares of the Cacao, let them melt in and then whisk until you get a light, creamy drinking chocolate. Because the drinking chocolate bar is made from pure cacao, which does not contain any sugar, you do need to sweeten it. For this, it's recommended that you use Hasslacher’s Single Estate Organic Panela,* (available from Sainsbury's) a sugar substitute that is 100% natural and unrefined and 100% ecologically produced. Simply sweeten to taste!
Does Hasslacher's Hot Chocolate taste good?
100% yes! I was really impressed with the taste of Hasslacher's hot chocolate. It was light, yet luxurious - just how i like it and I found it really easy to get the right amount of sweetness with the Panela. If hot chocolate is your winter drink of choice, I definitely recommend giving it a try! I made mine with semi-skimmed milk but if you wanted it a little more creamy, you could try whole milk or go all out and add a splash of double cream instead...(I'm definitely trying that later!)Dairy-free & Gluten-free
Hasslacher's 'Solid Bar' Colombian Drinking Chocolate is 100% cacao, contains zero sugar, zero cholesterol and is both dairy-free and gluten-free. It is also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Everyone's happy!
Use in home baking
Seeing as you get a generous 32 squares per 250g bar of Hasslacher's drinking chocolate (and only need to use two per cup), I'm thinking of saving some to use in a home baking recipe this Christmas. Perhaps brownies, as they're my other half's favourite! I'll also be using the Panela as a sugar substitute. All being well, I'll share this on the blog at a later date. It'll be my first time baking brownies in the Rayburn at the new house though, so wish me luck!
An ideal stocking filler
If you know someone who loves their hot chocolate, why not treat them to a Hasslacher's drinking chocolate bar this Christmas? Priced around £5, it'd make a lovely stocking filler, along with a festive-themed mug.
Hasslacher's 'Solid Bar' Colombian Drinking Chocolate is available to buy from most large M&S stores, as well as many independent stores across the UK. Both the hot chocolate bar and Panela can also be purchased directly from the Hasslacher's website.
Hasslacher's 'Solid Bar' Colombian Drinking Chocolate is available to buy from most large M&S stores, as well as many independent stores across the UK. Both the hot chocolate bar and Panela can also be purchased directly from the Hasslacher's website.
Is Hasslacher's Solid Bar Drinking Chocolate something you'd like to try?
Meg x
*PR Item.
