Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is by far one of the easiest and most rewarding desserts you can make. Plus it’s acceptable at any time of the day and it’s great for staying warm on cold winter nights. Chocolate and chocolate that has been made into a drink have been eaten for centuries and originally came from the aztecs and the mayans who used to mix spices, wine, and even tobacco into their chocolate - often drinking it cold. Spanish explorers eventually took cocoa beans and the technique for making this drink back to europe where it didn’t take long for them to begin heating it and sweetening it. After that chocolate shops quickly became popular and many new varieties of drinks and treats made from chocolate were invented.

Today chocolate and hot chocolate drinks are extremely commonplace are enjoyed by all sorts of different people. Hot chocolate is very popular during cold winter months and around seasonal holidays and it can be a lot of fun to try new types of hot chocolate and different methods for making it. Read on for some fun ways to shake up your hot chocolate recipes or become familiar with some classics.

Hot chocolate is often based one of two ways - either with milk or with water. My personal favorite is milk because it give the hot chocolate a creamy flavor and a heavier texture to it as opposed to water which can dilute the taste of your hot chocolate requiring you to add a bunch of extra sugar to get a good flavor to it. Milk also mixes much better with melted chocolate which will make your hot chocolate even and smoother. My basic hot chocolate recipe always starts with a couple of cups of milk heated in a saucepan and then a slow mix of dark chocolate melted into it as well as a half of a teaspoon of vanilla or more (depending on how much hot chocolate I’m making). The really fun part is adding flavorings to your hot chocolate though. Lots of people will crush mint candies and add them into their hot chocolate, others prefer cinnamon, chili powder (for those who like mexican hot chocolate), raspberry or mocha flavorings, and some people will do a half and half mix and add white chocolate into their recipes as well. Half the fun of hot chocolate is finding new things to try with it and because all it takes is a few minutes over the stove it’s a very fast and simple dessert that can be customized to different taste preferences. You can also transform hot chocolate into a fun milkshake or frozen dessert simply be adding a blender and some ice (or ice cream) along with your other ingredients.

Hot chocolate is especially fun if you put it in interesting glasses or use fun straws to drink it. You can also have fun using lots of different colored or flavored marshmallows as well as syrups and even melting andy or other fun treats in your hot chocolate. As a breakfast drink hot chocolate is great with toast dipped in it as well.

Hot chocolate is also a great gift if you’re looking to send some a dessert but don’t want to take the time to bake one. You can easily make up a mix of dry hot chocolate ingredients and some instructions as well as packing some cute marshmallows and a mug together and giving it to someone who needs a pick me up. Because of how quick and easy it is to make as well as how fun it is to customize and try new things with hot chocolate it’s a very popular treat and perfect for someone looking for a simple and fast dessert.