Tales of Hot Chocolate and A Homemade Marshmallow

In general, I am an open-minded eater. But there are a few things that I'm a snob about: chicken-fried steak, tomatoes, and, most vehemently, good ole-fashioned hot chocolate.

Back when AC and I lived in New York, we would try hot chocolate everywhere: coffee shops, bakeries, street vendors, wherever, and nothing was quite right. Either it was cloyingly sweet, had way too much chocolate and not enough sweetness, or the consistency was wrong. And forget Swiss Miss or any other powder that comes with those freeze-dried marshmallows. I won't go there.

Anyway, we finally came across Sticky Fingers bakery, located in the East Village, a total hole in the wall that could accommodate no more than about five customers standing up. I know at one point we tried their baked goods, but to be honest, I don't remember a thing, because once we feasted on the homemade hot chocolate, everything that occurred that day prior to going to Sticky Fingers was soon forgotten, as my day started anew when this chocolaty liquid heaven entered my life. The beverage was piping hot and had just the right mixture of chocolate and sweetness. But what elevated the cocoa to the next level was the bits of chocolate floating around in the cup, which were rich and delicious. I was sure, once we moved back to the DC area, that nothing could come close.

But, luckily, I've been proved wrong.

Misha's, a local (but also world-renowned) coffee joint in Old Town, serves a top-notch hot chocolate. Again, key to an excellent cup of cocoa is that it not be too sweet nor to chocolaty. It has to have the perfect combination, and I know this is hard to achieve, because I've tried it in my own kitchen, and failed. But we rarely ever right about things that are just amazing, there's always something else that tips the scales from "amazing" to "totally unbelievable," and this time, it was the homemade marshmallow brick that we got for an extra 50 cents. It's worth noting that the marshmallows come from a Wisconsin-style custard place in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria called The Dairy Godmother (it used to be called the Dreamery but was sued by Edy's, a sub-par brand of iced confection).

The homemade marshmallow is vastly underrated. It makes me wonder if those who make them know their power—to take something so simple and usually underwhelming and turn it into a special treat all its own. The Dreamery's marshmallows can and should be eaten as a snack, but floating and slowly melting on top of a small cup of totally unbelievable hot chocolate, it's perfection.

—AK