Hot Chocolate to Die For

2 to 3 oz milk chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup half and half (or cream)

Combine chocolate, butter, and vanilla in a double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth. Add half and half slowly incorporating it gradually as it heats, but do not boil. Serve with a dash of nutmeg for a garnish.

"You have publicly denounced pasted, powdered, flaked, salted garlic, decried the use of dull, desiccated, prepowdered spices and all of cooking's other irksome pseudo-conveniences, save one.

All across America each winter millions of cold thoughtful people (one hopes out of innocent misapprehension) put a foul sugary powder in a mug, add hot water and ignorantly dub it 'hot chocolate'. (This stuff rates with microwave pancakes.) I commend this formula to your care."

-- from a letter to Jeff Smith in _Cooks American_.

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