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The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe – no little packet of  hot chocolate powder that you purchase at the grocery will stack up to the rich, deep chocolate flavor found in this recipe. Homemade marshmallow squares scattered around a mug of hot chocolate

Making homemade hot chocolate is seriously the easiest thing in the world to do.  No little packet of  hot chocolate powder that you purchase at the grocery will stack up to the rich, deep chocolate flavor found in this recipe. Homemade hot chocolate takes very little time to make, too.  With only a few ingredients you can have a pot of chocolate bliss simmering on the stove in no time.

Overhead view of a mug of homemade hot chocolate

It’s rich, chocolate flavor is heavenly!  You’ll never be tempted to purchase hot chocolate at the store again.

The other day I decided to try my hand at making marshmallows myself.  There are lots of recipes on the internet and I’m sure many of them are quite good.  However, when I make something I’ve never made and am a little intimidated by the process, I go to someone whose cooking I particularly admire.  In this case, I went to David Lebovitz.  On David’s blog, I found a recipe for Homemade Marshmallows.  Reading through his instructions, he made me believe I could actually pull this off and I did!

A stack of three homemade marshmallow squares

I’ve had people tell me they’ve always wanted to make marshmallows but  thought the process too complicated.  It really isn’t.  Yes, there are several steps involved, but it really isn’t hard and these marshmallows taste like nothing you’ll ever find at the store.  You can find David’s recipe for Homemade Marshmallows on his blog.

To make the hot chocolate…

Place the milk and cream in a saucepan and heat to a simmer over medium heat.

Meanwhile, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.

cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon mixed together with a spoon in a ramekin

Add a two or three tablespoons of the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste.

Hot milk added to the cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon mixture in a ramekin

Pour the cocoa mixture and a cinnamon stick into the pot of milk and simmer 5 minutes.  Make sure it doesn’t boil.  As the hot chocolate simmers, it’s color will become darker.

Cocoa mixture in a pot on a stove and being mixed with a large spoon

Stir in the vanilla and enjoy!


The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe - no little packet of hot chocolate powder that you purchase at the grocery will stack up to the rich, deep chocolate flavor found in this recipe.

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions 

  • Place the milk and cream in a saucepan and heat to a simmer over medium heat.
  • Stir together the cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
  • Stir a few tablespoons of the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste.
  • Stir the cocoa mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Add in the cinnamon stick, stir and simmer 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to let the milk boil.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  • Pour into cups and serve.
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1 Comment

  1. Yum! Looks delicious! perfect for Christmas morning Thank you so much for this recipe!