During my walk home from the nightbus after a night out in Cannes, I found myself walking past my local boulangerie. Late night to the early hours of the morning is when all 
boulangeries make their masses of breads and pastries. The smell of fresh bread is infamously amazing, however the wafts of baking croissants I believe is even better. I went to bed adamant to treat myself to a croissant in the morning. I also realised that I am actually quite obsessed with food – who plans their breakfast so determinedly (I even checked to see if I had apricot jam…) at 4am whilst knackered and (slightly) under the influence of alcohol?!
True to late night determination, two fresh, buttery croissants made their way to my apartment. As it’s a Sunday, I thought why not go all out and have a typical French, tasty yet not so healthy accompaniment - hot chocolate in a bowl, the only way to drink it (if you are a French child, but oh well.)
As an adult, I did make myself a bit more of a ‘grown-up’ hot chocolate in a bowl. The addition of a shot of coffee makes masses of difference in my opinion. It takes away some of the sicklyness that can come from a big bowl of milky hot chocolate, plus gives you a bit of a (much needed) caffeine buzz.
Just what I needed!
My version of chocolate chaud calls for:
A china, heat proof smallish bowl that can easlily be drunk from.
About 250ml milk (if you are going really authentic then use UHT – although the French stuff doesn’t have quite the same strong taste as the UHT milk in the UK.)
1 tbsp hot chocolate powder (Poulain is a popular French brand that is the best – far better than any supermarket hot chocolate in the UK, I always bring a pot back with me!)
Shot of espresso or 2tsp instant coffee granules
1. In your bowl, mix the coffee and hot chocolate powder with a few tbsp milk to form a paste, add the rest of the milk then pop in the microwave for 1min. Stir to ensure everything is well mixed and cook for a further 40seconds.
Serve with warm croissants and jam.
You know, as you seem more able to penetrate inside France than many other Anglo-Saxons, many boulangeries let their back door open when they start working before dawn . And it’s perfectly accepted if night flies coming back home knock lighly, come into the back room and buy whatever bread, croissant or pastry just out off the oven .
It’s usally a bit cold at 5 AM, you appreciate being in a heated room, you smell with much pleasure, and a warm croissant just made is far better than the usual one .
Try it next time, find the back door, see if it’s open, and gently ask .
Thanks for the tip! Would be as fresh as it comes
Great tip from phildange. Can imagine smelling fresh baking ,even though I am 8000 miles away !