Recipes by Teresa Gonzalez // Images by Dianne and Ethan Jago

Our family has a tradition of drinking hot chocolate during the holiday season. Over the years, we have stepped away from the packaged cocoa and have developed our own recipe for the Ultimate Hot Chocolate. This hot chocolate can be enjoyed cozied up on the couch with your loved ones, or at a fancy dinner party, and by adding a few extra ingredients you can transform the original recipe into something unique and incredibly flavorful. You can start with the Ultimate Hot Chocolate recipe and then follow below for the twists.

The Ultimate Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Instructions

Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan on medium heat watching it to make sure it doesn’t simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolates and whisk until melted and combined. Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso and whisk. Reheat gently and serve immediately or add a twist below.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Extra ingredients

• 4 candy canes 

Instructions

In a plastic bag break up the candy canes by hitting them with a wooden spoon or break them up in a food processor. Follow the instructions for the Ultimate Hot Chocolate and stir in the crushed peppermint. Return to the stove, bring up to medium heat and whisk until combined. Serve with a dollop of whipped
cream and sprinkle in crushed candy canes.

Chai Spice Hot Chocolate

Extra Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice 

Instructions

Combine the chai spices in a bowl. Follow the instructions for the Ultimate Hot Chocolate and stir in the chai spices. Return to the stove, bring up to medium heat and whisk until all combined. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Orange Hot Chocolate 

Extra ingredients

• 2 teaspoons of orange zest 

Instructions

Follow the instructions for the Ultimate Hot Chocolate and stir in the orange zest. Return to the stove, bring up to medium heat and whisk to let the flavors marry. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with orange zest and chocolate curls.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Extra ingredients

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Coarse sea salt for serving
• 4 tablespoons of caramel sauce

Instructions

Follow the instructions for the Ultimate Hot Chocolate and stir in the caramel and salt. Return to the stove, bring up to medium heat and whisk until all combined. Serve with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and coarse sea salt.