In the kitchen with Elisa
The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate
Three delicious recipe variations
When the weather outside is frightful and the fire inside so delightful, grab a mug of hot chocolate and go, sit by the fire and enjoy it ho-ho-ho. Okey, okey, I am no song writer and I better stop before I make you all feel ashamed for me. But what could be better than a mug of delicious homemade hot chocolate during the cold winter months? I cannot think of anything better.
​
When it comes to hot chocolate, I am a fan of the real stuff and by the real stuff I mean a hot chocolate made using chocolate and not cacao powder. If you have never tried a hot chocolate made with chocolate you really need to, it has such a deep chocolaty flavour and oh how creamy it is. Then just add a hint of cinnamon,cardamom and vanilla to it, choose a topping from the three delicious variations, and you are in heaven!
​
Please​ don´t ask me which one I like the most, because I won´t be able to tell you. Yes, I tried them all, I am that bad :D And I really liked each of these as they are so different. The simple cinnamon hot chocolate brings out all of the original flavours we are putting into the hot chocolate, the s´more hot chocolate gives you some sweet snacks while you are drinking the delicious hot chocolate and the caramel hot chocolate, just YUM! So make one or make them all if you cannot resist like me :)
​
If you want to make your gingerbread from scratch you can find my Homemade Gingerbread Dough recipe here and if you want to make the caramel also yourself, the recipe is available here.
​
Stay warm lovelies!
​
Step by Step Video
RECIPE
The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate
Three delicious recipe variations
​INGREDIENTS
​
​
-
1 litre milk
-
1 cinnamon stick
-
2 cardamom pods
-
1tsp vanilla paste or extract
-
150g good quality dark chocolate
-
400ml whipping cream (30% fat)
​
-
½ tsp ground cinnamon
-
some melted dark chocolate
-
marshmallows
-
gingerbread cookies
-
3-4tsp caramel sauce (recipe availabe here)
​
​
​
DIRECTIONS
​
-
Heat the milk in a medium pot over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and the vanilla, cover with a lid and simmer on low to medium heat for 15 minutes.
-
Then remove the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods.
-
Chop dark chocolate and add it to the milk mixing until it has all melted. This will take about couple of minutes. Then remove from heat and taste if the hot chocolate is sweet enough for you. Optionally you can add some sugar to sweeten it. However remember that some of the toppings are very sweet.
-
The topping amounts above are for a single portion of hot chocolate.
-
To make the cinnamon hot chocolate pour the still warm hot chocolate into your mug almost until the top. Pipe the whipped cream on top and sprinkle over about half a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon.
-
To make the s´more hot chocolate pour the still warm hot chocolate into your mug almost until the top. Pipe the whipped cream on top, decorate with some marshmallows and gingerbread cookies. Then decorate with some melted dark chocolate.
-
To make the caramel hot chocolate add two teaspoons of caramel into your mug and pour over the still warm hot chocolate almost until the top. Mix the caramel with the hot chocolate until it has melted and mixed in. Pipe the whipped cream on top and decorate with some more caramel sauce on top.
-
Enjoy the hot chocolate while still warm.
​
