Whenever it starts to get chilly this time of year, I can't wait to make the season's first delicious cup of rich, creamy hot chocolate. The smell of it makes me think of decorating the house with Christmas lights, wrapping presents, and watching those classic Christmas movies year after year.
I grew up with instant hot cocoa, the kind that's complete with a splash of milk and some mini marshmallows, but trust me, once you've had this hot chocolate, you'll never want to go back to the instant kind. Instead of depending on cocoa powder for the chocolate taste, melting good quality chocolate gives the drink an overall richer and creamier feel, making it that much more irresistible.
Melting the chocolate before adding it to the milk and cream mixture helps to ensure that the chocolate is fully incorporated without leaving little specks of chocolate behind.
This recipe is also flexible enough so that you can use whatever kind of milk or chocolate you like. My personal favorite is bittersweet chocolate, but if you choose to use semi-sweet, feel free to add less sugar to balance the sweeter chocolate out. This recipe makes enough hot chocolate for about 2 servings, but those servings go a long way because it's so rich and creamy.
The only thing missing? Marshmallows, of course! With the help of a candy thermometer, you can whip up some homemade marshmallows at home. I decided to dress these marshmallows up by dipping them in more chocolate and sprinkling them with crushed peppermint.
The best thing about these marshmallows is that they leave plenty of room for customization. Like white chocolate more than semi-sweet or bittersweet? Switch it up! Prefer sprinkles to peppermint? Go for it! You can even use festive cookie cutters to make fun shapes. The choice is yours!
I recommend making the marshmallows ahead of time so that they have several hours to firm up before you start to make your hot chocolate.
This Creamy Hot Chocolate is super rich and works well with these Peppermint Chocolate Marshmallows to make you feel extra festive!
Creamy Hot Chocolate
Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
Creamy Hot Chocolate
Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
If you choose to use semi-sweet chocolate for the hot chocolate, feel free to add a little less sugar to balance the sweeter chocolate out.
Keywords: hot chocolate, peppermint, marshmallow