How to Make Hot Chocolate

Most of us are accustomed to hot chocolate from a packet. You know the kind I'm talking about, the powder that never quite mixes with water, and a smattering of tiny marshmallows? But rich, thick, and delicious hot chocolate is actually super simple to make from scratch. All you need is a few basic ingredients, and a good dose of creativity, and you can have a whole range of flavors.

The first thing you are going to need is good quality chocolate. I've done this with everything from plain old Hershey's to the fancy stuff. Hershey's works fine, but do note that most commercial solid chocolates contain stabilizers, so they "melt in your mouth and not in your hand." Baking chocolate would probably yield the best results in this case, but in a pinch you can use just about anything. You'll want a few ounces per serving.

Next, you want to use milk, the closer to full-fat the better. Remember, this is good hot chocolate, not good-for-you. (Although, who says a little indulgence now and then isn't good for you?) I actually prefer 2% for this, but if you're watching the waistline, I'm sure skim wouldn't turn out too badly. I make my hot chocolate by the mug, so... about a cup and a half of milk should be plenty.

First things first, put your milk in a saucepan on the stove. You want to heat it gently, don't let it scald. A medium-low flame should be just fine, and will keep it from boiling.

While your milk is heating, get out a good knife and chop up your chocolate. If you happen to be using chocolate chips, this probably isn't necessary, but anything bigger than those Nestle morsels, and I'd run it under a knife, just to be sure it melts uniformly.

Once the milk is just below boiling, stir in your chocolate. Don't be afraid to really stir it up, as it will help break up whatever bits of chocolate are left suspended in the milk.

The last step, of course, is to enjoy! Pour your homemade hot chocolate into your favorite mug, curl up with a good book (or your sweetie) and drink up.

Now, if you are adventurous, you can try all sorts of variations on this theme. A little cinnamon and nutmeg (and maybe the tiniest hint of cayenne) sprinkled in with the chocolate shavings will yield a Mexican chocolate. I, on the other hand, usually use chocolate infused with orange or raspberry flavor, to give a little fruity kick to my drink. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream and you have a treat decadent enough to make you swear off powdered hot chocolate for good!