Skip the Mix - DIY Hot Chocolate

You have probably been making Hot Chocolate without a recipe for your entire life - for many, hot chocolate can mean dumping a few scoops of a mix into a mug, adding a few glugs of milk, and heating the whole thing in the microwave.

Hot Chocolate is like pancakes.  Both aren't hard to make from scratch, but most people use mixes and the end results suffer.

Think back to winter days when you played outside so long that the snow penetrated your boots, bulky leggings and even the woolen mittens clipped to your sleeves.  Nothing could cure that chill like hot chocolate.  You can probably recall the warmth of the steaming cup warming your hands.

THE RECIPE:

2 cups whole milk

2 cups half and half

4 oz. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chips or bar

5 oz. Dove Silky smooth Milk Chocolate

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whipped cream and grated chocolate for garnish

1.  Heat milk and half and half in a saucepan over medium heat to just below the simmering point.

Chop chocolate into small pieces for easier melting.

2.  Remove the pan from the heat and add both types of chocolate.

3.  When chocolate has melted, add the sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine.

4.  Reheat gently and serve immediately garnished with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

We've all had powdery hot cocoa - watery, with those occasional crunch of undissolved marshmallow clumps.  Still cocoa was - and still is the best thing to stir into a mug on a winter afternoon.
Booze it up with a teaspoon (or more) of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur or Frangelico, or "virgin", laced with cinnamon or peppermint or marshmallow topped, this recipe is guaranteed to produce wintry, chocolate bliss.

Sharing with Simple Supper Tuesday Linking up with Baking in a Tornado - Brrrr Brigade