Snow and hot chocolate go together perfectly. There’s something so comforting about drinking a big cup of warm, rich chocolatey liquid after being outside in the cold. With the amount of snow we’ve been getting lately, there’s nothing I’ve been craving more than homemade hot chocolate. This week’s Melissa’s Menu features two delicious hot chocolate recipes that are actually much easier to make than you’d think. One is a classic recipe that’s super creamy, thick and indulgent, and the other is a salted caramel hot chocolate that combines the richness of both cocoa and caramel, taking regular hot chocolate to the next level. Once you try these recipes you’ll never want to go back to powdered hot cocoa mixes.
Gourmet Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder
8 ounces of 72 percent dark chocolate
whipped cream, for serving
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar and espresso powder until hot. Small bubbles will appear around the edges of the pan, and the mixture may start to steam. Do not allow the mixture to boil. After a few minutes, once fully combined, turn the heat to low and stir in chopped chocolate until melted completely. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream.
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups of whole milk
3/4 cup of dark chocolate
1 tablespoon of caramel sauce
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
To garnish:
whipped cream, to taste
caramel sauce, to taste
dark chocolate shards, to taste
Directions
Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the dark chocolate, caramel and sea salt. Whisk until fully incorporated. After a few minutes take the pan off the heat and pour into a glass or mug. Serve warm and top with whipped cream, caramel sauce and dark chocolate shards.
