Strawberry Sweethearts Cocoa

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Make your sweetheart feel like a newlywed with this simple melted ice cream cocoa, served in chocolate-dipped mugs for an extra-special treat.

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 pint strawberry ice cream

4 cups water

Whipped cream

1 cup Mini chocolate chips

1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles

In a medium-sized bowl, melt the chocolate chips and dip the top of four mugs into the chocolate. Set aside, allowing chocolate to harden.

In a medium pot, whisk together the butter, sugar, and ice cream over medium high heat until melted.  Whisk in the water, one cup at a time until your favorite texture/flavor is achieved.  Heat just until steaming.  Pour into chocolate-rimmed mugs.  Garnish with a dollop of whipping cream and a sprinkling of chocolate sprinkles.  Serve with your favorite bite-sized cookies for dipping.

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Rebecca Donnelly

Yield: Makes 4 cups

 

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1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

10 whole cloves

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

4 cups whole milk

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish: mini marshmallows

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Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in an 8- x 10-inch piece of cheesecloth; pull edges together, and tie to secure.

Heat milk and spice bundle in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes.

3. Remove spice bundle from milk. Heat milk mixture over medium-low heat until hot. Add brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts. Add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Stir in vanilla. Serve warm; garnish, if desired.

Earl grey hot chocolate

By Emma Photography by Emma

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ tsp earl grey tea

6 square of dark chocolate, or to taste

Method

Combine the milk and tea in a saucepan and gently heat without boiling. Continue heating for approximately 10 minutes. The milk will take on a light tea colour.

Place 3 (or more if desired) squares of chocolate into a heatproof glass. Pour the milk over the chocolate using a tea strainer/colander to strain off the leaves. Serve.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

http://www.pastryaffair.com

Yields 3-4 servings

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup half & half (or heavy cream)
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons crushed candy canes (about 4 large candy canes), or 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Whipped cream, garnish
Crushed candy canes, garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring whole milk and half & half to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and stir in chocolate and crushed candy canes (or peppermint extract) until silky smooth. If necessary, place hot chocolate back on low heat and stir until chocolate is completely melted and candy canes are dissolved.

Pour into mugs, top with whipped cream, and garnish with crushed candy canes and shaved chocolate.

Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

4-5 cups whole milk
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine 2 cups of milk, white chocolate, and cocoa powder. Cook over medium heat, whisking periodically, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and ginger. Add the remaining milk, 1 cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

If desired, serve topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Just be sure not to fill the mugs too full before adding the whipped cream, or you might have some overflow.

Nutella hot chocolate

Recipe:

400mls milk of your choice (I used 2%)
3 x 20ml level tablespoons of Nutella
1 tspn vanilla essence

Whipped cream (I used the aerosol kind)
60g dark chocolate

Melt dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water on medium heat.

Whisk milk, Nutella and essence in a pan over medium heat until Nutella has dissolved and milk is hot; pour into mugs.  Add whipped cream and melted chocolate.

Serves: 2

Hot Chocolate with chili and cinnamon

Hot chocolate like a child, but without the chili and cinnamon.  For afternoon tea or a birthday party.

You can add chocolate and cinnamon chilli powder or chilli piece and a piece of cinnamon bark.  You can also add chili flakes.

If you want to get a very thick chocolate – to eat a teaspoon of the cup, we have to reduce by half the amount of milk and / or add more chocolate.

The components, 2 – 4 servings:

250 ml milk

5 tablespoons creamy cream 30%
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 tsp chili powder (cayenne pepper) or a piece of chilli pepper – the amount to taste
3 teaspoon of cinnamon powder or a piece of cinnamon bark
50 g of dark chocolate

Extras (optional):

•whipped cream (cream, whipped 30% cream with powdered sugar)
•chili flakes or cocoa powder or cinnamon

Preparation:

Pour the milk into a saucepan and cream, add powdered sugar and fresh chili and cinnamon bark if they use (powder spices add later).  Heat on medium heat, stirring every now and then (not).  Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add to the hot milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted.  Add the cinnamon and chili powder or chili flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Finally, you can mix the mass.  Weight should come out brown and smooth.  Serve in small cups.  Garnish with whipped cream and sugar fondant pudrem.

Caramel Hot Chocolate

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/01/caramel-hot-chocolate/

2 Servings (recipe can easily be doubled)

Ingredients

2 cups milk, preferably whole

1/4 – 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I recommend Ghirardelli)*

1/2 cup caramel sauce, recipe follows

sweetened whipped cream or vanilla marshmallows

grated chocolate and coarse or Maldon sea salt for garnish, optional

Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup salted butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Prepare caramel sauce according to directions listed and allow to cool slightly. Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once milk is warm, stir in chocolate chips and caramel, and cook whisking constantly until chocolate has melted. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm topped, topped with sweetened whipped cream or miniature marshmallows, drizzle each serving with 1 Tbsp caramel sauce and garnish with grated chocolate if desired.

For the caramel sauce:

Gather all of your ingredients and have them nearby ready to add to the mixture as needed. In a heavy-bottomed 3 quart saucepan, heat sugar and water over moderately high heat whisking constantly to dissolve sugar. Once mixture reaches a boil, stop whisking and allow mixture to boil until it reaches a dark amber color, carefully swirling pan occasionally. Once mixture reaches a dark amber color, immediately add butter and whisk until butter has melted then immediately remove from heat. Wait 3 seconds then carefully pour in cream and immediately whisk to combine (it will bubble vigorously). Whisk until mixture is smooth. Allow caramel to cool several minutes then pour into a glass jar to cool.

*For a richer hot chocolate, you can use up to 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips and mix in more caramel sauce as well if desired.