New Year’s Eve always over- promises and underdelivers, so, some years ago, I decided to just ignore it and never go out. What did you do? I stayed in and made sure I went to bed before midnight, trying not to catch any of Auld Lang Syne.
Firetree’s new-ish volcanic hot chocolate, £12/245g, is a worthy contender for these cold days and nights. Both the 72% offerings are really good: punchy, rich, just what you want from a hot chocolate. The oat version was too sweet for me, but if you’re vegan and pine for a creamier version you might like it. The 100% is, well, 100%, some diehards make it using just water and a pious expression. Not me. Of course hot chocolate is wonderful with a tot of something even more warming. Whisky always reminds me of my fishing days when my ghillies used to give me coffee with ‘milk’ (whisky) at 8.30am.
I will be here to see you through the harsh month of January with some lovely ideas for soothing chocolate. For now, have a look at Eponine’s delicious Tiramisu bar, £6: white chocolate with mascarpone, vanilla and a dark chocolate coffee layer. This made me think of Willy Wonka’s ‘three-course meal in a gum’. At first the coffee was nowhere to be seen and we moaned in frustration, but suddenly there it was, a shiny-boot kick of coffee just when you least expect it. Delicious. You can’t go on Eponine’s site without ordering one of their chewy nostalgia-triggering barres, which are so good, £6. If I had to pick one I’d go for the Billionaire bar, but there are four, one for each week in January. Happy 2023!
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