Making Hot Chocolate together is a great way to bond with your kids and get creative in the kitchen!
A very basic recipe is to melt 1 ounce of chopped semi-sweet chocolate into 4 cups of hot (but not boiling) milk. Stir until chocolate is melted and creamy. This makes 4 cups of hot chocolate.
Once you have the base you can add any flavor you like. You can also change the base ingredients. Here are some ideas:
- Make the base with a different type of chocolate. Try dark chocolate, white chocolate, or a flavored chocolate bar.
- Make the base with different types of milk. Experiment with skim, 2%, almond milk, rice milk, or add a splash of coconut milk.
- Experiment with extracts. Just a drop or two of extract is enough to change the flavor of your hot chocolate and kids can choose whatever flavor they like to be add to their glass. Flavors to try: Vanilla, Banana, Raspberry, Almond, Maple, Orange. Check out the extracts near the baking aisle for inspiration.
- Stir it up. Use a candy cane, cinnamon stick, old fashioned stick candy, or a spoon dipped in chocolate (another creative kitchen activity) to mix your hot chocolate.
- Spice it up. Ground spices are another great way to get creative. Try a sprinkle of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, even cayenne pepper.
- Top it. Think beyond marshmallows, although you could try making your own. Make flavored whipped cream, a tiny scoop of ice cream, some grated chocolate, or toasted chopped nuts.
Here are a few flavor suggestions made from the above list to get you inspired:
Tropical White Hot Chocolate:
Make the basic recipe using white chocolate, 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of regular or light coconut milk. Add a few drops of banana flavoring. Top with whip cream (flavored with banana or coconut if you like) and sprinkle with toasted shredded coconut.
Candy Cane Dream:
Make basic recipe, add a drop of peppermint extract and top with whip cream and grated chocolate. Stir and serve with a candy cane.
Spicy Dark Chocolate:
Make basic recipe using dark chocolate. Add a dash of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and cayenne. Top with chocolate whip cream or a dollop of dark chocolate ice cream. Serve with a cinnamon stick to stir.
The flavor possibilities for hot chocolate are endless. It is a great way for kids to experiment, discover a new flavor combination of their own and have fun in the kitchen.
Creamy Hot Chocolate Muffins:
Over at A Whisk and a Prayer there is a fantastic recipe for “Creamy Hot Chocolate Muffins” that are baked in mugs and eaten with a spoon. Now that is a creative way with hot chocolate!
What is your family’s favorite recipe for hot chocolate or flavor combination?