Rich 'n' Thick Hot Chocolate
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (8 [½-CUP] SERVINGS); PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 8 MIN.
This is a luxurious, unexpected offering for dessert. Take it over the top with a dollop of Marshmallow Whipped Cream. Find the chocolate bars on the candy aisle at the grocery store. Traditional hot chocolate recipes usually call for arrowroot as a thickener, but we used the more common cornstarch.
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 cups milk, divided
2 (3.5-oz.) dark chocolate bars (at least 70% cacao), chopped
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Marshmallow Whipped Cream (optional)
1. Whisk together cornstarch and ½ cup milk until smooth.
2. Cook remaining 3½ cups milk in a large, nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around edge of saucepan (about 4 minutes; do not boil). Whisk in chocolate, honey, vanilla extract, and salt until blended and smooth. Whisk in cornstarch mixture.
3. Bring milk mixture to a light boil, whisking frequently (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat. Let cool slightly. (Mixture will thicken as it cools.) Serve immediately with Marshmallow Cream, if desired.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight 72% Cacao dark chocolate bar.
Mexican Rich 'n' Thick Hot Chocolate: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2, whisking in 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ancho chili powder with chocolate. Proceed with recipe as directed.
Orange-Almond Rich 'n' Thick Hot Chocolate: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2, whisking in 3 Tbsp. juice and 2 Tbsp. almond liqueur with chocolate. Proceed with recipe as directed.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Amaretto for almond liqueur.
Grown-up Rich 'n' Thick Hot Chocolate: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2, whisking in ½ cup Southern Comfort with chocolate. Proceed with recipe as directed.
Marshmallow Whipped Cream:
MAKES ABOUT l½ CUPS; PREP: 10 MIN.
Maximum make-ahead time is two hours. After that, the marshmallows start to dissolve.
½ cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
½ cup miniature marshmallows
1. Beat whipping cream at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Fold in marshmallows. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 hours.
Everyday Hot Chocolate
MAKES ABOUT 4 ? CUPS; PREP: 10 MIN.,
COOK: 8 MIN.
The younger crowd will love adding stir-ins to their mugs, while the adults may want to go fancier. Offer Whipped Topping Dollops on Spoons to add to theirs.
4 cups milk
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
3 Tbsp. hot fudge topping
Pinch of salt
Stir-ins: crushed hard peppermint candies, chopped thin crème de menthe chocolate mints, miniature marshmallows, milk chocolate kisses, cherry cordial crème chocolate kisses
Whipped Topping Dollops on Spoons (optional)
1. Cook milk in a large nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Whisk in chocolate syrup, fudge topping, and salt, whisking vigorously until chocolate is well blended and mixture is frothy. Serve immediately with desired stir-ins or, if desired, Whipped Topping Dollops on Spoons.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, Smucker's Hot Fudge Topping, Andes Crème de Menthe Thins, and Hershey's Kisses Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Crème.
Lightened Everyday Hot Chocolate:
Substitute 2% reduced-fat milk for regular milk. Proceed with recipe as directed.
Whipped Topping Dollops On Spoons
MAKES 8 DOLLOPS; PREP: 10 MIN.;
FREEZE: 1HR., 5 MIN.
Parchment paper
1 cup thawed frozen whipped topping
1/4 cup desired topping (chopped toffee bars, shaved white chocolate, shaved dark chocolate, ground cinnamon and nutmeg, finely chopped crystallized ginger, chopped chocolate-covered coffee beans)
1. Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Place 8 spoons on pan, and freeze 15 minutes.
2. Spoon whipped topping into a 1-qt. zip-top plastic freezer bag. (Do not seal.) Snip 1 corner of bag to make a
1/4-inch hole. Pipe dollops onto spoons. Freeze 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle each dollop with about 11/2 tsp. desired topping. Freeze dollops 45 minutes. Serve immediately on a tray. Or, transfer to a 13- ? 9-inch baking pan; cover tightly, and freeze up to 2 days.
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