Home Made Hot Chocolate for Cold Weather

Who doesn't like home made hot chocolate in the middle of January? I know it is a favourite in our house. We like to play with our taste buds and try different things to spice it up. We use several different kinds of milk, depending on everyone's taste, including cow's milk, soy milk, and almond milk. You can also try rice milk if that's what you prefer. For sweeteners, feel free to substitute maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar for sugar, but start with less, about 1 tablespoon, and taste the combination before adding more.

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

-Pinch of salt

-1 cup milk or any combination of milk, half-and-half, or cream¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Step 1

-Whisk together the cocoa, sugar, salt, and about 2 tablespoons milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until cocoa and sugar are dissolved. Whisk in the rest of the milk and heat it over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until it is hot. Stir in the vanilla and serve.

Step 2

-If you like it frothy, blend it in the blender.

Step 3

-This recipe multiplies easily. When you get up to a quart of milk, use ¼ teaspoon salt.

Feel free to let us know what you tried!