Historic French Chocolate from Two Rulers, Louis XIV & Napoleon I
Louis XIV and Napoleon I were born over 100 years a apart but both enjoyed a pot or cup of chocolate.
I found two recipes, one for each of them and tried them out as they are quite simple. Both utilized chocolate and are thickened with egg yolk. However, the recipe that Napoleon enjoyed was made with heavy cream and sugar and unsweetened chocolate whereas the Louis version is made without sugar, but with dark chocolate and just water.
Here are the recipes I used for both:
Napoleon Chocolate (4 servings)
1 pint whole milk
4 egg yolks (have these in a small bowl or glass meausring cup)
50g sugar
50g unsweetened baking chocolate
Heat the milk and chocolate in a small sauce pan over medium heat until arriving at a slow simmer.
Stir the chocolate and continue until all chocolate is melted.
Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat.
Take a small spoonful of the hot chocolate mixture and add it to the yolks, stirring, add a few more spoonfuls of the hot liquid to temper the eggs before pouring yolk mix back into the chocolate pan (do this to make sure your eggs don’t scramble).
Add the sugar and combine.
Pour into 4 small bowls or cups. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then refrigerate.
Notes: This makes a light and somewhat frothy pot of chocolate. It’s very good!
You could make this with half n’half for a richer version, or even add part almond milk. I also added a pinch of salt.
This recipe was adapted from the historical recipe listed on the Fondation Napoléon. On their website it is called Chocolate Cream.
Louis XIV Chocolate (4 servings)
Equal amounts of dark chocolate and water
1 egg yolk for every 4 cups
In a small sauce pan, place water and chocolate and bring to a low boil.
Remove from heat.
Take a small spoonful of the hot chocolate mixture and add it to the yolks, stirring, add a few more spoonfuls of the hot liquid to temper the eggs before pouring yolk mix back into the chocolate pan (do this to make sure your eggs don’t scramble).
Put over low heat for a few minutes, do not boil.
Pour into a small cups.
Notes: I made this recipe for just one cup of chocolate. I used 60g of water and 60g of 70% cacao (dark chocolate) and only 1/4 of a yolk. It turned out very much like a mousse or pudding, much more so than the Napoleon chocolate which was thinner, even afer refrigeration. The Louis chocolate was also richer despite not using any cream.
I adapted this recipe from that was on the Nic McGegan website, an expert in 18th century style, according to New Yorker magazine. He notes on his site that this original recipe came from ‘Dinners of the Court or the Art of working with all sorts of foods for serving the best tables following the four seasons’, by Menon, 1755.
Which one is better, Louis XIV or Napoleon Chocolate?
As far as which one I preferred…
Well, I would have to say it would depend on the time of day.
If it was morning, with a croissant, definitely the Napoleon. But if it was evening, maybe with a little cognac, it’s Louis chocolate all the way. Napoleon’s chocolate is lighter, and more like a drinking chocolate and Louis’s is like a modern day pots de creme, richer and thicker.
At least as far as these two recipes go.