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Katie at the Kitchen Door

Globally-inspired, seasonal recipes

4 December 2, 2012 Czech Republic

Memories of Prague, Hot Chocolate, and Cookies

 

European-style Hot Chocolate {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

This time of year always seems to be filled with ghosts of the four months that I spent living in Prague. Maybe it’s the drop in temperature, or the quality of light, but I find myself lost in little memories almost daily. Thoughts of walking through the cobbled streets after dark, buying klobasy (sausages) and svarak (mulled wine) from the glowing carts. Shivering as I waited to catch the tram each morning, then suddenly overwhelmed with heat once I’d stepped through the doors. The view across the river on the way to and from class, of all those thousands of spires. Haggling with the Vietnamese vendors over scarf prices at the Holesovice market. Long afternoons spent sitting alone in the park, stealing pictures of the people around me. Riding the tram out to the end of the line to go for long and wandering runs through the forest, hardly knowing where I was headed or what I would see. Piling up on the floor of the dorm’s music room with dozens of friends to listen to The Relatives play by candlelight.

Prague Rooftops

Scrolling through my reader a few weeks back, I came across this short little post from Nicole, which triggered one particular memory for me. I spent much of my time in Prague taking pictures, but one particular shot I wanted to capture was the Charles Bridge at sunrise. Iconic and touristy? Yes, but I wanted it anyways.

Where we lived was a little ways out from the city center, maybe 20 minutes on the tram, plus a short walk on both ends. So getting a picture of the sunrise wasn’t a matter of rolling out of bed, but an adventure that needed some planning. I chose a weekday with predictions for good weather, laid out my clothes, and set the alarm for 4 am. Without disturbing my 3 sleeping roommates (we all slept in the same room), I pulled on layers of clothes, grabbed my camera, and stepped out into the still-starry dark. As I waited on the corner for the tram, I was amazed to see so many other people up and about, mostly stony-faced Czech men headed out for work. I arrived at the bridge in that pre-dawn gray haze, hoping against hope the sunrise would be clear and worthwhile.

I think it was probably late September or early October, and it was chilly and misty by the river. There was no one else there, which was both lucky and eerie. As the first hints of light and color snuck into the sky I began to snap pictures at every angle until the pink was gone from the sky and my fingers were stiff with cold. Then, I put away the camera and walked. Walked and walked along the river, absorbing everything around me going through its early morning routine – the old man in the row boat, the swans clustered around the shore, vendors setting out goods. I walked until I reached Cafe Savoy, where I had been wanting to try the hot chocolate. I sat on a bench, chilled to the bone, until the cafe opened, and was one of the first customers inside. Sitting by myself in the corner, I slowly sipped the rich chocolate until my insides were warm and my fingers had unclenched. Then, I walked to school and promptly fell asleep on the couch.

Sunrise at Charles Bridge

Hot chocolate is a bit of a thing in Prague. There are dozens of round-up articles of the best hot chocolate in town, and there is a cup out there for every taste. The ones I associate most with Prague are the thick ones, like the one served at Cafe Louvre – it’s more like hot chocolate pudding then a drink, but it’s certainly an exercise in indulgence. To celebrate this post and that morning and all my lovely memories of Prague, I made a pot of hot chocolate – the thick kind made from real chocolate – and a batch of chocolate cut-out cookies for dipping. It’s hitting the spot.

European Style Hot Chocolate {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Every single day there was an adventure. Every day was marked by freedom. I can’t remember a time in my life when I’ve felt more alive than those four months. It could just be because of the rosy haze of memory, but I think there’s more to it than that. I think I’ll have to go back to find out. But for now, I’m enjoying the beginning of winter on this side of the ocean.

2012-12-2 095

European-Style Hot Chocolate

Adapted from Bell’Alimento. Serves 2-3. (A little goes a long way!)

  • 4 oz. high quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces
  • 1 1/2 c. whole milk
  • 1 TBS sugar
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • whipped cream for topping
  1. Add chocolate and 2 TBS of the milk to a small saucepan. Melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring the whole time. Once melted, slowly whisk in remaining milk until well combined. Add the sugar and the corn starch and whisk to fully integrate and dissolve. Cook the hot chocolate over low heat, whisking the whole time, until the chocolate has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It will take about 10 minutes for the chocolate to begin thickening, but once it does, it will continue to thicken quickly so keep an eye on it! Serve hot.

Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

Recipe adapted slightly from Bake at 350. Makes 40-50 cookies.

  • 2 1/2 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp instant espresso powder
  • 1 c. (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature or slightly softened in microwave
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  1. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat together softened butter with sugar until the mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the egg until fully combined, then beat in the vanilla.
  2. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, fully incorporating the flour into the butter between each addition. The dough will appear somewhat crumbly, but should stay together when pressed into a ball. Press the dough into two disks, then wrap these in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work space and a rolling pin, and roll out one of the disks of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. If the dough is cracking or not staying together, knead with your hands until it is smooth and workable. Cut out as many cookies as you can from the dough, then press back into a ball and roll out again. Repeat until all dough is used. Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Frost and decorate once fully cooled.

4

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Categories: Czech Republic Tags: baking, chocolate, christmas, comfort, cookie, Dessert, drink, sweet, winter

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara says

    December 3, 2012 at 6:46 am

    Did you say Prague? Say no more, I love this post. But when it comes to hot chocolate, I always remember the hot chocolate we had in Paris when I was 12 — made with milk (not swiss miss powder) and surely something like this, it was amazing for me. I must be the same as you–this weather and the Christmas seasons had me making pernik-style cookies yesterday, which I hope to post on soon!

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      December 4, 2012 at 9:13 am

      Oh, I can’t wait to see the recipe! I’m always looking for ways to relive that time.

      Reply
  2. thyme (sarah) says

    December 3, 2012 at 7:11 am

    What beautiful words about Prague. I enjoyed journeying to this city that I know very little about. The photos are beautiful and the one with the pink sky is just stunning!

    Reply
  3. Joy says

    December 3, 2012 at 11:26 am

    I love the idea of having the drink and cookies together! The perfect combo for a cold December day off from work. :) Also, I love the picture of the view of buildings.

    Reply
  4. gabriellaklaudia says

    December 3, 2012 at 11:30 am

    Reblogged this on Nutella Is Ma Fella! and commented:
    I Just love thick hot chocolate! Usually I just add cornstrach to a good ready-made mix when I need a quick fix (tip for you all right there!) but I really do need to try something like this! :D And guys, guys. Never underestimate the power of marshmallows in your hot chocolate. Might come up with a thick nutella hot chocolate soon so look forward to that!

    Reply
  5. Mallory says

    December 3, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    Your stories of travel make me want to book a flight and head out the door.

    Reply
  6. Michelle says

    December 3, 2012 at 7:51 pm

    Oh, Prague. I so want to go there! And such lovely photos.

    Reply
  7. Tamara Mirianashvili says

    December 4, 2012 at 4:24 am

    Some day I shall go there, definitely! <3

    Thank u for posting :*

    Reply
  8. That Food says

    December 4, 2012 at 5:30 am

    I’ve been to Prague earlier year, all I can recall gastronomically is:
    * extremely low food prices, every meal was a feast
    * lots and lots of steaks
    * incredible stews (especially goulash)
    * their McDonald’s offer a deep fried, battered, cheese ball, with a sun-dried tomato filling

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      December 4, 2012 at 9:11 am

      Mmm, smazeny syr (fried cheese sandwich)! A true Czech delicacy, especially when slathered with mayo.

      Reply
  9. huntfortheverybest says

    December 4, 2012 at 10:44 am

    the hot cocoa and cookies sound great! i hope to visit prague too. it’s so beautiful!

    Reply
  10. Kresendo says

    December 17, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    I loved this post, I felt like I was right there watching your every move. Written like a great book
    Thanks I’m going to try the recipe with my girls,

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      December 17, 2012 at 9:34 pm

      Thanks for such a sweet comment. Sometimes I feel like I’m going out on a limb when I write “artistically,” so I’m really glad you enjoyed the post.

      Reply
  11. Lory McGuire says

    April 5, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Just thank you Katie, everything is lovely, the writing, the recipe, the photo.

    Reply
  12. Gabi says

    November 1, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    Lovely blog and excited to try this hot chocolate recipe …

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      December 8, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      Thanks, Gabi! This hot chocolate is one of my favorite recipes on here, and this is the perfect time of year to indulge in it. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Playing catch up | f00dventures says:
    December 18, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    […] Memories of Prague, Hot Chocolate, and Cookies (katieatthekitchendoor.com) […]

    Reply
  2. From Goat to Guinness: Santa’s Eats From Around the World | Greatist says:
    December 24, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    […] It’s all about milk and cookies in the U.S. Some families go with classic sugar cookies, others opt for something a bit more decadent — chocolate chip or peppermint, perhaps? Expect Santa to take a bite or two of a cookie, a few sips of milk, and leave plenty of presents (and hopefully no coal!) under the tree. Photo: Katie / Katie at the Kitchen Door […]

    Reply

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