Blogmas Day 13 – Hot Chocolate Appreciation Day!!

Helloooo merry readers!

One of my favourite drinks to enjoy during the holiday season is hot chocolate. Sure, you can enjoy it all year round, but they just seem to be so much more iconic during these festive weeks. Maybe it’s because they’re the most used hot drink in Christmas photos and ads, or just because there’s just something so merry about a giant festive-style mug of hot chocolate with a mountain of whipped cream and a candy cane in the side? 

Anywho, because there are so many delectable, Christmassy variations of hot chocolate being sold everywhere (and I mean everywhere – honestly, my self-control is being tested every time I leave the house when I see things like spiced cinnamon hot chocolate available on special), I thought it would be a fun idea to do a little Hot chocolate appreciation post. And just in case that isn’t enough for some of you, I’m also going to be sharing some super easy recipes for these different types of hot chocolate, so it’s a two in one post today. Lucky you! 

Deluxe hot chocolate on steroids!!

Starting with something ‘easy’, this is a classic special cup of hot chocolate. All you need is a steaming mug of hot chocolate as you’d typically make it. I tend to use instant hot chocolate or just hot chocolate you make with hot milk. Now what turns this hot chocolate from your average cup of deliciousness to an extreme cup of deliciousness are the toppings. Usually, people tend to choose either whipped cream or mini marshmallows. However, the key to this cup of hot chocolate is to go completely overboard with all the toppings!! I’m talking whipped cream, mini marshmallows, a healthy shake of either cinnamon or chocolate dust, and a candy cane tucked into the side like a teaspoon. I know it sounds like a one-way ticket to aching teeth, but it’s the festive season, and you absolutely deserve it! 

Hot chocolate bombs 

Next on the list are these fantastic little guys that are awesome for creating a rich cup of hot chocolate that’s more interesting than just using powder or could be an amazing gift for friends and family. Plus, they are soooooo easy to make! 

All you’ll need is 3.5 cups (600g) of chocolate chips, 420ml of sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and assorted toppings. Orrrrr, about 500g of your favourite chocolate, hot chocolate powder and any toppings/flavourings you want to include in your hot chocolate. These will make two different kinds of hot chocolate. 

If you’re making chocolate (let’s call them) blobs, pour the cream and condensed milk into a pot and heat until it just starts to boil. Immediately remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips in a bowl, stirring with a spatula to melt and combine them. Spoon about 3 tablespoons into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners, so they are ⅔ full. Cover with whatever toppings you want, and set in the fridge to solidify. When you want to transform your blobs into hot chocolate, simply heat almost a mug’s worth of milk, drop in your blob and let it transform your mug into a delicious chocolatey beverage. 

If you’re making hot chocolate bombs, melt the chocolate and coat the inside of circle silicone moulds (I’d recommend at least two layers, so the chocolate isn’t too thin). Once the moulds are set, pop them out, pour in 3 heaped tablespoons of hot chocolate powder and your flavours or toppings. What I love about this recipe is you can literally make so many different hot chocolate variations – peppermint, salted caramel, cinnamon, just mini marshmallows, fudge etc. – you just need to add it into the centre of your little bomb. Using a hot plate or bowl, press an empty circle against the hot plate to slightly melt the rim and place the empty cup over a filled cup. You can run a hot spoon along the seam to slightly melt them and help seal the seam a bit more. If you’re feeling fancy, you can melt some white chocolate and decorate the top of your moulds with chocolate, sprinkles or anything else hot chocolatey. To transform into hot chocolate, place one bomb in a cup, pour 1 ½ cups of hot milk over it, and stir – VOILA!!

Luxury Lindt hot chocolate 

This is my older brother’s favourite hot chocolate. He can drink litres of this stuff because it is that delicious. It may not be the cheapest drink option. Still, if you’re thinking of treating yourself, it is so worth it because the Lindt makes it so rich and creamy without being too overwhelming. 

All you’ll need to make this hot chocolate is two bars of Lindt milk chocolate (you can use dark, but we all prefer the milk chocolate version) and at least a litre of full cream milk (I’d say a 2-pint bottle, or whatever your closest equivalent is). Heat the milk in a pot on the stove just until it starts to boil, then pour it over your milk chocolate and stir until it has melted completely. Voila! Your delicious and luxurious Lindt hot chocolate is ready to devour! 

Slow cooker hot chocolate 

If you need a big batch of hot chocolate for some reason (maybe you have friends coming over, a Christmas party on the books or just a long day watching Christmas movies), then I cannot recommend slow cooker (or crockpot) hot chocolate enough! It’s rich, creamy and pretty easy to make! 

Simply combine 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream, 1 can of condensed milk, 6 cups of regular milk, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and about 2/ 2 ½ cups of chocolate chips in your slow cooker and mix until combined. Cover and cook for about two hours, occasionally checking on it and stirring until the mixture is hot and all the chocolate is melted. Whisk well, and now all you need to do is serve it up and garnish it with your favourite toppings!

Mulled hot chocolate (with cinnamon) 

I couldn’t resist putting in a hot chocolate recipe with a fun Christmas twist! Plus, we all know how much I adore cinnamon. Combine it with hot chocolate, and I’m like an elf in a gingerbread house wearing jingly bells on my shoes. All you need for this recipe is at least 1.2 litres of whole milk (you can use more if you need more cups, just adjust the spices), warmed in a pot on the stove for a few minutes. Then add in the zest of an orange, 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, 2 whole star anise and 1 tablespoon of Szechuan peppercorn. Stir and turn the heat up. When it’s boiling, add in 100g of chocolate (dark chocolate), stir to combine, then turn the heat down to a simmer and leave it to cook for 2 minutes. Strain and divide amongst your cups, and you have mulled, spiced hot chocolate!! 

And there we have it!! I had such fun researching and writing this Blogmas post – I may have had to test drive some of these recipes just to make sure they were as delicious as advertised, and it’s given me the excuse to drink lots of hot chocolate. What did you all think of this blog post? Do you have a favourite hot chocolate from this list? Or a hot chocolate that I might have missed out? Also, if you could only pick one topping for your hot chocolate, what would it be? Let’s chat in the comments section! 

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx