Delicious Hot Chocolate
Now that the weather is cooling off and the nights are getting chilly there is nothing quite as cozy as sipping a mug full of hot cocoa, here's to the fall season!
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
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Ingredients:
| 2 cups | milk |
| 2 cups | half-and-half |
| 1 cup | good semi sweet chocolate chips |
| 1 teaspoon | sugar (optional) |
| variations: orange rind, orange syrup, cinnamon sticks, raspberry syrup, abuelita chocolate, mint extract, peppermint patties, whipped cream, chocolate shavings |
Directions:
To make the basic hot chocolate, combine milk with half-and-half in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, then stir in chocolate chips. Stir until melted (though there will still be lovely particles of chocolate throughout.) If it's too chocolatey for you, splash in a little more milk. If it's not quite sweet enough for you, add 1 teaspoon sugar. Serve in mugs with whipped cream.
VARIATIONS
Orange Hot Chocolate: Add 4 slices of orange rind as you warm the milk mixture. Add a splash of orange syrup if you have it, but it isn't necessary.
Raspberry Hot Chocolate: Add 3 tablespoons raspberry syrup to the hot chocolate. Drop a couple of raspberries into each cup.
Mint Hot Chocolate: Drop 1 to 2 miniature peppermint patties into each mug before adding hot chocolate. Stir to melt.
Mexican Hot Chocolate: Substitute 2 discs of Abuelita chocolate for the chocolate chips. Simmer cinnamon sticks in the saucepan with the hot chocolate. Add 1 cinnamon stick to each mug before serving.
Garnish any and all variations with whipped cream or chocolate shavings.
Source: thepioneerwoman.com
