Holiday Hot Chocolate from scratch

Who doesn’t love a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day during the Holiday season? When I think about spending time together with my family over the Holidays, I imagine my kids playing outside in the snow while I watch from the kitchen window making them some hot chocolate. I picture them coming in from the snow and sipping the hot chocolate in front of the Christmas tree.  That is my ideal Christmas image.

This is the recipe for rich, creamy hot chocolate made from scratch, using dark bitter chocolate. My kids love this with marshmallows floating on the top and a candy cane to mix it. My husband prefers the big marshmallows, but I like it with a bunch of little marshmallows.

I love to find old fashioned rustic Candy canes, which are easier to find during the winter holiday season, to use in the Hot Chocolate. When you use the Candy canes to stir the chocolate, the mint flavor transfers to the chocolate and creates a nice slightly minty chocolate flavor. It’s almost like mint chocolate ice cream! Just don’t let too much of the Candy cane melt into the hot chocolate as they are quite sweet and minty.  I make sure to take them out of the mug after a while…

Of course, hot chocolate made from scratch is the best, so try this over the store bought mixes, and add on these toppings to bring out the extra depth in flavor!

Holiday Hot Chocolate from scratch

serves 4

•    2 cups of whole milk

•    2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chip

•     1/4 cup of heavy cream

1.   Slowly heat the milk and the chocolate together in a milk pot and melt the chocolate.

2.   When the chocolate is completely melted, add the heavy cream. Stop the heat right before the mixture comes to boil.

3.   Serve in beautiful holiday mugs!

Marshmallow topping is a must, but also try adding an Old fashioned Candy cane if you like! Enjoy a great, chocolate holiday treat!