5 Hot Chocolates to Warm Up Your Week

The mild temperatures are trying to hold on a little while longer, but even 72 degree days (like what we're expecting today) begin with chilly mornings and end with brisk evenings. It's time to break out the hot chocolate.

When I say hot chocolate, I don't mean the powdered stuff mixed with water.  That will do for my kids in a pinch, but I like my hot chocolate rich, chocolatey, and with a milk base. Here's how you can have some of what we're having:

Indulgent Hot Chocolate

There are two ways to get a cup of standard chocolate.  You'll have to sample both to see what you prefer.  ~wink~

For the first, whisk 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar.  Add a few drops of water and whisk until you get a syrupy consistency (like the photo below), then whisk in 8 oz. very warm milk.

Alternatively, you can skip the dry ingredients, but as you heat your 8 oz. of milk on the stovetop, stir in ¼ cup of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips until smooth.  The chips will not melt completely and you will have little slivers of chocolate floating in your cup.  It's decadent!

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Once you settle on a method to make your base cup of chocolate, you can experiment with some of these varieties. 

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to your cup of chocolate. Whisk until it is incorporated. 

Autumn Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Whisk ⅛ cup of pumpkin puree into cup of chocolate and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and nutmeg.

White Hot Chocolate
Substitute ¼ cup of white chocolate chips for the plain chocolate ones.

Mint Hot Chocolate Substitute mint chips for the chocolate ones or add a few drops of mint extract before drinking. For an extra treat, drop 1-2 peppermint patties into your cup!