How about this super cold winter weather, amirite? 😉 It’s been in the 60’s and 70’s here for the past couple weeks, and that’s fine by me. I’m sure we’ll get our share of the cold weather soon enough, but for now I’m enjoying being able to go running in the mornings without freezing to death.
Even though the weather’s been warm Jim and I are getting our hot chocolate recipes into shape for when we need them. Everyone loves hot chocolate, right?? It’s the perfect indulgent way to warm up on cold winter days. We both love hot chocolate but we have very different ideas of what good hot chocolate is. Jim likes his super chocolatey and thick, while I like mine to be chocolatey and healthier. Needless to say we can’t settle on a single recipe, so we’re bringing you two!
First up is Jim’s super-dense and over-the-top chocolatey version. He uses regular milk and a little cream to make it creamier and richer.
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- 3/4 C milk
- 1/4 C cream
- 1/8 C sugar
- 2/3 C chopped dark chocolate, plus additional for shavings
- Heat milk, cream, and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Do not let boil.
- Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl and pour hot mixture over. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a cup and top with chocolate shavings.
My recipe is for coconut hot chocolate. The coconut milk is definitely a healthier alternative that is still chocolatey without too much coconut flavor. Over the recent months I have been using coconut milk in any recipe that calls for milk. Sometimes I use unsweetened coconut milk other times like in this hot chocolate I use vanilla coconut milk. It’s delicious and I urge you to give it a try. If you have a little bit of extra time you could also whip up some coconut whip cream. I decided to sprinkle mine with unsweetened coconut flakes for a festive touch!
- 1 C vanilla coconut milk
- 1.5 Tbsp sugar
- 1/3 C cocoa powder
- 1 tsp shredded coconut for topping
- Heat coconut milk, sugar, and cocoa powder over medium heat, whisking constantly, until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not let boil.
- Pour into cup and top with shredded coconut.
One of the keys to making great hot chocolate is having good chocolate. Jim uses chopped dark chocolate (usually in the 60-70% range). It ends up being a little creamier. I like to use unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s pure chocolate taste without adding extra sugar. You should experiment with different types of chocolate to find your own favorites.
Who else loves some hot chocolate? What’s your favorite recipe? Tell us about it in the comments. Stay warm out there!