Warm, cosy, and immensely decadent hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise. It’s truly a hug in a Mug!
Is it even Christmas without a cup of warm, and delicious hot chocolate?
December is the month for cosying up with friends and family, and a mug of hot chocolate makes it even better! There are so many ways to make hot chocolate and trust me, I’ve tried them all before finally settling on this as the BEST hot chocolate recipe. It’s creamy, silky smooth, and intensely chocolatey with both cocoa and dark chocolate being used! The spices add just the right nuances and Marshmallows round up the experience!
Milk
When it comes to hot chocolate, I always recommend using whole milk. Remember, Fat = Flavour! So keep the skimmed milk aside, and use full fat milk in this recipe for the real deal!
Chocolate vs. Cocoa Powder
The creamy silky texture of hot chocolate is impossible to achieve with just cocoa powder. A good quality real chocolate bar in combination with cocoa powder really makes this recipe intensely chocolatey. I suggest using a dark chocolate. If you use milk chocolate, skip the sugar or atleast reduce it in order to not make it too sweet.
Spices and Flavors
Years back, while traveling to Mexico, our family had made a stop at a café that served us a spiced hot chocolate. It is a taste that never left my mind. Apart from being warm and chocolatey, it was ever so lightly spiced with notes of cinnamon lingering long after the mug was over. I tried recreating the same taste with this recipe. The spices may feel odd sitting in the list of ingredients of a hot chocolate recipe, but they really uplift the recipe by several notches without being overpowering. Its got cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise. Sometimes I also add the smallest pinch of cayenne pepper or black pepper to give it a real kick. Another thing that works amazing well in this recipe is a slight taste of orange. Use an orange flavored chocolate to add to the recipe or just use a tsp of fresh orange zest. Some other ideas to amp up your hot chocolate are – vanilla extract, peppermint extract or drizzle of caramel or a shot of espresso. Whatever works for you!
Serving
You can serve it with a topping of marshmallows and some whipped cream or chopped chocolate and a dash of cinnamon. Again, as per your preference but do serve it while still steaming hot!
So, go ahead and make this delicious cup of hot chocolate and remember to share your feedback with me in the comments.
If you’d like to see a video tutorial of this recipe, head over to my Instagram page Loveandflourbypooja.
Happy Baking!
Other Chocolate recipes you may like
Spiced Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1-2 Star anise
- ½ cup (85g) Dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
- a pinch Nutmeg Powder
Suggested Garnishes (use any as per your preference)
- Marshmallows
- Whipped cream
- Chopped chocolate
- Cinnamon
Instructions
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, add 1 cup whole milk and 2 star anise. Let it simmer for a few minutes then add the sugar, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg powder.
- Use a whisk to stir well. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Bring the milk to a boil and keep stirring until the chocolate is melted.
- Switch off the flame and strain to remove the star anise or pour as it is.
- Top with toasted marshmallows, whipped cream or chopped chocolate and serve hot.
