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Chocolate Gravy Recipe

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Introducing Chocolate Gravy

What the heck is chocolate gravy, you may ask. As I was growing up in Missouri, my sisters and I would wake up each morning to the smell of a great traditional American breakfast of fried eggs, sausage, bacon, or ham, and the best homemade biscuits you ever put in your mouth. Yes, my mom was definitely the Paula Deen of our kitchen, though she never felt she was a good cook. But she would cap off a great breakfast with something not so familiar to people in most areas of the country, including Missouri. She would make something that was called Chocolate Gravy. But in our family, we just called it, "Chocolate". My sisters and I actually were surprised years later when we heard others called it chocolate gravy.

Photo: Mom the Chef watches her family feast on chocolate gravy

Contents at a Glance

Chocolate Gravy Poll
How Should You Eat Chocolate Gravy?
Chocolate Gravy - Mom's Way
Please Give Our Chocolate Gravy a Try
One Final Word Before You See Mom's Choc...
Ingredients of Chocolate Gravy

Chocolate Gravy Poll

I love chocolate by Imaginechest
Browse other Chocolate Posters

As we were growing up, and living outside of the South, I cannot tell you how many times, we had friends over and they had never heard of chocolate gravy for breakfast. Some were reluctant to try it. But we would force them to try it. Usually, they loved it. Have you heard of it? Would you try it? Let me know.

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How Should You Eat Chocolate Gravy?

Just ask our grandson Axel

Served swimming in butter and over piping hot biscuits, this is truly a rare treat that you have to try before you quickly dismiss it as something that you would never like. I agree the name 'chocolate gravy' alone can be a turnoff. That's probably why in our home, we just called it 'chocolate'. But if you are a chocolate lover, you cannot go through life without experiencing this exquisite culinary delight!

I love how one writer describes his first experience tasting chocolate gravy: "When I first heard of this sauce, the name did not appeal to me. Later, when I tasted it's smooth chocolatey sweetness, when I lifted it with butter and biscuit to my mouth, when I first smelled the chocolate and saw it shine, then it's flavor filled my chocolate craving taste buds and it entered my long-term memory, I will never forget that moment. As badly as an itinerant preacher seeks converts, I want you to taste this gravy! It is thick, smooth, and chocolatey." - Mountain Country Cooking, Mark F. Sohn.

Photo: Our grandson Axel enjoying his Chocolate Gravy (Axel's style: "I don't need no stinkin' biscuits")

Chocolate Gravy - Mom's Way

An Old Southern Favorite Makes a Comeback

The problem was, my mom never measured any of the ingredients when she made it. So when we grew up and we would visit home and get to eat some chocolate at breakfast, my sisters would watch Mom make it, with the hopes of being able to carry on the tradition with their children. But trying to replicate Mom's recipe met with limited success. It was never just as good as hers, in their opinion. Some attempts were better than others. Just last week, my niece called to tell me they had mastered the recipe.

Growing up as kids, we knew that our mom was taught how to make chocolate gravy by her mom. So in our little minds, we imagined our grandmother must have invented the recipe, cause we knew no one else who ate it.the one that created the chocolate gravy recipe. But housands of other mothers from the south have made it for generations for their children. So I started a search online and made phone calls and even tracked down a chocolate gravy expert from Marked Tree, Arkansas.

Photo: Marvin's sister eating "Chocolate" (Debbie's style: Break the biscuit up in pieces and roll it in the chocolate)

Please Give Our Chocolate Gravy a Try

Though Skeptical at First, Bren's now a Chocolate Gravy Lover

Please do me a favor, try it, just try it once, and then see if you are not hooked on this southern treat.

I introduced Bren to it last year soon after we married, when we visited my parents who now again live in Arkansas. She was very skeptical at first. It just sounded too weird to her. But as you can see in the photo, she gave it a try and..... she likes it! Each time we go home and chocolate gravy is made, she has to have it each time. She's not proud to admit it, but her actions show how much she likes it. In fact, when she wants to go there, I'm wondering what her motives are. Does she just want to go to get some chocolate? I'm thinking so!

Photo: Bren eating Chocolate (Bren's style: Dip biscuits in chocolate, bite it off, and dip again)

One Final Word Before You See Mom's Chocolate Gravy Recipe

(Thanks to my sisters, Becki & Debbie, and my niece, Samantha for getting this after many years of shadowing Mom)

The recipe below is my Mom's, so it is made just the way my family loves it, since we were raised on it. But I have found many other recipes out there with basically the same ingredients, but different variations. Since those families were raised on the other recipes, they would no doubt prefer theirs to my Mom's. So you may want to try these variations:

Some add 2 tsp of artificial vanilla flavoring to the recipe below.
Some use a 12 oz can of evaporated milk instead of 2 cups of whole milk
Some like it thin, in that case, use one or two less tablespoons of flour

Lower down the page you will find a bonus recipe from a true chocolate gravy expert.

Photo: Chocolate Gravy on Mom's fine china - They deserve to be together.

Ingredients of Chocolate Gravy

Just like Mom used to make

Start with:
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder
4 tbls of flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
4 tbls butter or margarine

How to make Mom's Chocolate Gravy Recipe:

Time to put it all together and cook the chocolate

Whisk by carfour
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In a sauce pan, mix together cocoa, flour, sugar, and salt with a whisk. Mix these dry ingredients well so the flour is mixed in and won't lump on you. Turn burner on medium heat and stir in the milk. Be sure to stir constantly when it begins to thicken. Add butter or margarine.

The key here for first timers, is, be patient cooking it for as long as it takes to thicken. When I made it for the first time not long ago, I kept saying, "Why is it not thickening?" But, alas, it finally did. So hang in there and the reward in taste will make it worth the wait.

In our house they add more butter in their bowl. Serve over biscuits, or as I like to do; break up the biscuits into the bowl to sop up the chocolate gravy..... Mmm Mmmm Good!
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Brief History of Chocolate Gravy

Plus a Bonus Recipe from A True Chocolate Gravy Expert

Cook - Breakfast at my Great Grandmothers print

Cook - Breakfast at my Great Grandmothers by suburbanscenes
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Research shows people have been making chocolate gravy for their families since the 1700's. It seems to trace back to 2 isolated areas of the United States; the Appalachian Mountains and the Ozark Mountains. Over the past one hundred years it has been a traditional Sunday morning breakfast dessert served with biscuits to many families from this area of the country. So if it was a special treat served only on Sundays when traditionally the best of the best foods are served, it must have been held in high regard. So how can you deny yourself of at least trying this chocolate delight once?

I have heard praises of Jen Russell's chocolate gravy for years on Facebook from her family and friends. Her ingredients and in particular her way of mixing the ingredients are unique and have to be tried. My guess is this is likely the way chocolate gravy was made generations ago. She got it from her mother and grandmother. I will definitely be trying it soon. You should too!

3 heaping tablespoons chocolate
3 heaping tablespoons flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups water
12 oz can evaporated milk
1 stick of butter

Melt stick of butter in a skillet, add dry ingredients, this makes a roux - just like making white gravy - but do NOT brown or cook this roux - only dissolve. Add water as it thickens (constantly stirring). Add canned milk and vanilla.

Rachael Ray Sauce Pan for Chocolate Gravy

Perfect size to make Chocolate Gravy

Rachael Ray 1 Qt. Open Stainless Steel Saucepan

Amazon Price: (as of 05/30/2012)

A sauce pan, one of the workhorses of the kitchen, is used for everything from cooking sauces or rice to simmering soup or chili. This pan's small size makes it just right for a side dish or cream sauce. Features: Stainless Steel Construction: Sophisticated stainless steel construction is favored for its durability.

Kitchen Whisk

A must to keep the Chocolate from clumping

Berghoff 3-Piece Stainless Steel Whisk Set

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 05/30/2012)

Top Rated Kitchen Spatula

Great tool to scrape every drop of chocolate out of the sauce pan

Le Creuset BB0733-16 Amazon.com Exclusive 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set, White

Amazon Price: (as of 05/30/2012)

Chocolate Gravy Aprons

Keep it clean.

"Hey Y'all, Paula Deen Makes a Good Chocolate Gravy"

(Probably not good for diabetics, though)

Here is a link to Paula's recipe. You will notice there are no two chocolate recipes that are the same. yet they are all very similar. Try them all...

Paula Deens Chocolate Gravy Recipe: Give it a try and let me know which recipe you like best.

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