Make Your Own Hot Chocolate

Recipes

Written by Elke Probkevitz

Thursday, 23 December 2010 10:57

Nothing makes you feel like a kid again like a steaming hot cup of cocoa. Top with whipped cream or pop in a couple of mini-marshmallows and watch them melt away as you take your first sip. Hot chocolate is just as good now as when we were kids. However, making this yummy treat a little more complex in flavor will enhance its appeal to even the more sophisticated palate.

Authentic hot chocolate uses real pieces of chocolate melted into milk. The result is a sweet treat that is warm, soothing, and intensely delicious. Alternatively, hot cocoa uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate. It is so simple to make, yet most people turn to the artificial powdered mixes. If you are going to use the instant variety, using hot milk instead of water will give you much richer results.

When making hot chocolate, the better the quality of the chocolate, the more decadent your hot chocolate will be. You can use any variety of chocolate you prefer: dark, milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet, or unsweetened. If you do use unsweetened, you must add sugar, but this way you can monitor how sweet your hot chocolate will be. Use a chocolate with a high percentage of cacao to make it ultra-indulgent. When making hot cocoa, splurge on a good quality cocoa powder instead of the standard cocoa powder available everywhere.

Whether you choose to make hot chocolate or hot cocoa, you can keep it interesting by mixing in different ingredients to create your own flavor. Here are some ideas for how to spice up your hot chocolate or hot cocoa.

Mexican. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to make a sweet and spicy hot chocolate.

Colombian. Hot chocolate with a dash of cinnamon.

White. Substitute white chocolate for brown, and drizzle in raspberry syrup for white raspberry flavor.

Coconut. Use coconut milk to make a non-dairy beverage. You can also use soy or almond milk.

Mocha. Add in coffee or espresso for a delicious caffeine burst.

Reeseâ€™s. Stir in a spoon of peanut butter with your chocolate, making sure it is blended well.

You can add in whatever your imagination can come up with. Or you can create a hot chocolate bar with a variety of options to choose from so that everyone can create their own signature beverages.

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 cups milk (best with whole milk)
2 Tbsp. sugar
pinch of salt
36 miniature marshmallows
6 cinnamon sticks

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, break up the chocolate into small pieces. In a saucepan over medium-low flame, combine the chopped chocolate, milk, sugar, and salt. Heat and stir until chocolate is completely melted and milk is very hot but not boiling, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and froth with a mini-whisk or fork. Divide the hot chocolate among 6 cups, top with 6 marshmallows, and serve with cinnamon sticks as stirrers.

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