Hello everyone! We have been trying out some different variations on hot chocolate and I thought I would share them with you.
I will admit to using the instant envelopes of hot chocolate many times, but here is my favorite homemade Hot Chocolate recipe. It's very quick and easy!
Hot Chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine the cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in boiling water and bring mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Stir in the milk and heat until hot, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serves 4-5.
Now for the different flavorings you can add...
~Raspberry Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1 teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam.
~Butterscotch Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1 tablespoon of butterscotch sauce.
~Ginger and Cinnamon Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1/8 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon.
~Mocha Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1 teaspoon instant coffee.
~Maple Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup.
I have tried all of these different variations and really like them all! Now let's talk about toppings!
~Good old whipped cream.
~Whipped cream and cookie sprinkles. This is especially fun for Valentine's Day.
~Whipped cream, a marshmallow and chocolate shavings.
~Mini marshmallows with a butterscotch drizzle.
~For all you chocoholics out there...Chocolate Whipped Cream with chocolate shavings.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa and sugar together. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the whipped cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the cocoa mixture, whipping until well blended.
All of these variations should keep you warm until spring. Let me know if you try any of them.
Do you have a favorite hot chocolate flavor or topping?
62 comments:
I love them all but peppermint is my favorite and i love love love Mexican hot chocolate! Kelli those all look so scrumptious! I would have paid big bucks to be in your kitchen for the making of this post! :-)
Thank you for sharing those with us! I received your email too, don't worry about a thing! :-)
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Hugs~
Tiany
I am boring - I just have the occasional mug of ordinary plain hot chocolate. These look like a meal in itself - I would expand to the size of an elephant if I had these regularly! I must send a link to my hot chocolate loving daughters . . .
Kelli, this all looks and sounds sooo delicious but I bet it has a lot of calories! ;o) Anyhow, I will try some of it with my hubby and the kids.
Hugs Britta
Ohhhhh BABY!! These sound so good!!!
My kids love it when I make "home made" hot chocolate....we shave hershey bars into the hot milk!!
But the addition of the raspberry jam??? Heavenly inspiration!! I will definitly try that one!
All those look yummy. Thanks for giving us some new versions of Hot Chocolate. The Raspberry one I am going to have to try.
Oh, my!!! I have yet to meet a cup of cocoa I didn't love. ;)
Whoa, Kelli! I think I put on some weight just LOOKING at this post!
Love the whipped cream..but the heap o' marshees is very appealing as well...
mmmmmmmmm.........
Oh yum!
Now I am wanting some hot chocolate!!
So perfect for the cold, windy, rainy weather we are having here in southern California!
So bad for my diet :(
oh yum. I think I just put on 10 lbs. reading this one! LOL!!!
I like to use the little packets, too, but found a recipe for "instant" hot cocoa in the gooseberry patch book for winter. That's our favorite one. I would have never thought of adding chocolate whipped cream to a cup. I'm going to try that one! Oh, and maybe the raspberry jam, too. And the ginger/cinnamon one, and.....
;o)
They look lovley. I am alll about some cocoa.We always use spray whip and now they make it in Choc. I also like to add a few spoons cappocino mix. Usely french vanilla and mocha.Thanks...great post.
Kelli,
Everyday you do the most wonderful things. I love stopping by just to see what you have come up with.
Yummy!
-Cookie
i had no idea hot chocolate could be so fun :) i'd love to try them all.
thanks for sharing!
have a blessed day.
missy
Yummy! Your whole blog is yummy! I will be spending my whole day (between typing assignments) checking it out. I am loving the projects you posted and know what I am going to do with last year's calendar. Thanks for a totally inspirational place to visit! P.S. I love your front porch!
Ok you have STOP cause I'm really craving these now and it's not even 9am LOL
These are SO good Kelli, I can't wait to try them all, and I mean ALL LOL
Yum! We'll have to get out the hot chocolate to try those now, even though the temp. is currently in the 80's here in Florida!
I love all your hot chocolates. I wish I could drop by your house and share a mug with you. About the only variation I've ever had is whipped cream with bits of peppermint.
Julie
YUM-O~ (as Rachel Ray would say *grin*)
I am partial though to white chocolate with mini marshmallows. But your ideas look like ones I might just have to give a try.
I did a party at Christmas and it was huge hit with my girlfriends. All the different toppings. I think a new one I really liked was the Andres thin mints. I love the Raspberry idea. I think I will do a Hot Chocolate Party every year with girlfriends it was so much fun. Thanks for the ideas...
These look fantastic ! I've bookmarked the page ... it's summer here ( Australia ) now so the hot chocolates are few and far between ! But - when winter comes, look out !! :) Thanks for sharing. ( I came over from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, by the way )
I'm actually really interested in the Chocolate whipped cream, I've never heard of that before. Do you have any desert recipes which you specifically use with this?
Wow those look good! I'm not a huge "chocolate hot" drinker(Kaia's name for it), but I think my whole family would enjoy these.
Thanks for sharing!
Yum! The chocolate whipped creams sounds delicious!
My favorite hot chocolate toppings are my lips!!!
They all look simply scrumptious!
Every thing looks so yummy. I will have to try them out. I do not drink hot tea or coffee but I think I will enjoy the hot choclate and I will try them all. Thanks for the ideas.
I think I fainted!
Delicious!
Sandra Evertson
I'm not a big hot chocolate drinker, or any hot drink drinker, but looking at yours with the toppings makes me want some in a big way! My girls love hot chocolate, so we'll have to try these.
Hi Kelli,
All of these look and sound so yummy. Are these your creations? If so you sure do have some great ideas about how to spruce up your hot chocolate for these cold winter days or any day for that matter.
Now you've got me just longing for a cup of hot cocoa, but alas, it is too late in the evening for the caffeine and the calories, so I'll warm up some cider instead and save the cocoa for tomorrow - it's supposed to be -20 here so it will really warm us up! Thanks for all the great ideas for making hot cocoa an occasion to be celebrated!
OK Mrs. Kelli... Who DRANK all of those?????? Did you have Tina over??
I am your servant forever more. This is the most awesome post EVER. I love, love, love hot cocoa and finding a decent recipe has been almost impossible. But I know yours is great because you've never steered me wrong. Your Potato Chowder soup recipe is one of my absolute favorite things in the whole world to make AND eat. (This from someone who can't cook worth a flip! Let's just say I'm "kitchen challenged" and leave it at that, shall we?). Thanks for posting this (and thanks for the pictures. WOW).
:)
Kari
Oh my goodness they all look so wonderful! What a great idea!
:0) Sharon
Oh Kelli, Stop it already. I'm trying to lose another 10 pounds. I'll admit to dumping an envelope of hot chocolate mix into hot coffee occasionally. I add half and half to that and it's a mocha.
Nancy
I love hot chocolate. These are wonderful ideas for some variations.
Thanks!
Sandra
Oh WOW!!! Kelli---they all look soooo good:)
YUMMY :o)
Julieann
Thank you!!!Thank you!!! I love peppermint hot chocolate:)thanks for sharing..
I'll try again without the typos, : ) I tried Monica's cocoa from The Homespun Heart and I also made homemade marshmallows which are on my blog under the Drink label.
I'm not sure it was appropriate to make me drool on my keyboard....LOL! Kidding!! Wow, those are so tasty-looking. Love the mini-marshmallows with butterscotch drizzle. Gotta get some this weekend. You rock. Did I mention, also, that you rock? :)
You are awesome! I just had ran out of those famous *packets* and had been thinking for days to whip up some homemade ones, you really came through for me, this is fantastic!
Warm Winter Blessings,
Kelly
I'm trying some of these for Valentines Day. Keira would love the sprinkles. I'm gona try the chocolate whipping cream! looks so good!!
We just love hot cocoa around here too. But I regretfully admit, that I've never made it from scratch. Seems like I make everything else from scratch-just not hot cocoa. But the recipe you posted seems so easy. I think this weekend I just may have to make some for the family (and myself too). I love the toppings and stir in ideas. So many to choose from. Thanks for another great post Kelli!
~dawn
OH...all of those look delicious!
Chocolate! I am really in a chocolate mood at the moment and I find your recipes....... oh, how amazing they sound, I have been thinking about hot chocolate for a while now and how they serve it at special places with cream ect, now I can make my own yum combinations! Thank you
Priscilla x
I tried the ginger/cinnamon variation. Delish! I also made the Cappucino Chocolate muffins. They are soooooooooooo good!
Oh Kelli, those all look so wonderful! What a great idea to post this. I especially liked the look of the chocolate whipped cream topping. The mini marshmallows with butterscotch looks amazing too... or how about whipped cream with butterscotch!?
I really don't drink hot chocolate very much, although I love it -- too many calories. I like the from-scratch kind you feature here, but when I drink hot chocolate it's usually from my own homemade mix.
Now you've made me hungry for hot chocolate!!!!
Susan
yummy!!!
Oh my Kelli! You really know how to make me hungry! It looks so yummy yummy!
I have been to busy this week and had hardly any time for passing by your blog!
Now, I am curious to see what your winter garden will look like (your previous post).
Hugs,
Anita
P.S.: I do not have any favourite flavour!
Oh my goodness, Kelli! You bring hot cocoa to new heights! Thanks for these tempting ideas to try. We love drinking hot cocoa, especially when it is so cold outside.
Jenn
OMG! Kelli, you hit everyone of my favorite hot chocolate recipes! Dee-lish! Thank you. I'm salivating!
Excuse me....ahem.... but where is the diet one??? ha hah
Those all look so good. Thanks for the wonderful ideas. My favorite hot chocolate is mint, but yours are giving me an urge to branch out and be adventurous.
Oh, yum!! I believe these would be just as delicious on a cup of coffee. Or cocoa and coffee mixed. Mmmm... thanks for sharing. The pics are great!
Yum. I think I will have to try some of these out. I am practically drooling. This is my first time stopping by your blog and I am loving all the recipes I see here. I will be back for more, I am sure!
YUM!! Which one to try first......
Too yummy. Love all variations. Thanks for the recipes. Linda
Oh Kelli, all those look and sound so yummy. I promise you tonight before I go to bed I WILL HAVE a cup of hot chocolate!- Jennifer
Wow! You have definitely expanded my idea of what to do with hot chocolate over these cold dreary winter days. Thanks for sharing!
Yvonne :o)
Snowman Hot Chocolate- It's a cup of hot chocolate with a scoop of your favorite ice cream in it. YUMMY!!!
Amazing! The whipped cream, marshmallow, and chocolate shavings one looks so good! So does the one with the mini-marshmallows and the butterscotch drizzle - mmmm!
~Susan
I never thought of most of these but i like to take a candy cane and brake off the end just enough so the candy can will set on the side of the glass and just reach the bottom and i then put the piece i broke off at the bottom of the glass then i let it set just a few sec so the candy cane will melt just a bit.Then enjoy!
Love the variations one can add to turn an ordinary cup of hot chocolate into something a bit more spectacular! Kelli, I truly enjoy viewing your blog. And not just because I like to check out the many wonderful recipes you have posted, but I enjoy seeing how you've decorated your home. I feel as if I'm paging through a home decorating magazine. Also Kelli, I wanted to let you know, in case you haven't seen it, I gave you a Loveliest Blog Award at: http://domesticgoddessinthekitchen.
blogspot.com/
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