I’m having so much fun trying new recipes and making them my own, so I decided to create a category on my blog so that I could keep them all in one place. (Also because I need a website address to post my pics on pinterest.)
So here’s the first one! I debated when posting this whether or not I should rename it Natalie’s Decadent Hot Cocoa, but I didn’t want to scare you off!! Ha!
Natalie’s Rich & Creamy Hot Cocoa – Serves 5
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg (or 10 scrapes along a microplane of whole nutmeg)
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 3 cups 2% milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or more if you like)
In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. (You can make this mixture ahead of time and store in your pantry for later use, too. Just make sure you mark it well and if you’re like me, keep the rest of the recipe taped to the container so you don’t forget it!)
Add boiling water and stir until well combined, then bring to a slight boil over medium heat.
Combine milk, cream and vanilla in a separate bowl so they are mixed well.
Add milk mixture to the chocolate mixture and heat through. Be very careful to continue to whisk while heating so that the hot chocolate doesn’t scorch!
I based this recipe off a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. You can find the original recipe here.
This recipe does not contain heavy cream, cinnamon or nutmeg, but instead uses half and half and more milk than mine. I didn’t have any of that, only heavy cream, and I didn’t want to spend the time making homemade whipped cream either, so I just substituted the cream in and saved a little time.
Very, very rich. And for you Weight Watchers out there, here are the numbers you need to know.
Yield: 5 cups
Pt value per cup: 13 (I know, I know, but it’s worth it once in a blue moon. Go for a couple turns around the block!)
Natalie Ames 