Most people cannot start their day without a hot cup of coffee, with or without milk. While the caffeine assists in kickstarting our system and gets us going through the day, it has fast become a staple in everyone’s morning breakfast. However, there are some coffee drinkers who only consume the hot beverage in chilly months in order to keep themselves warm and protected from catching the cold. While cappuccino, latte, americano and espresso are devoured by coffee lovers through the year, the popular hot chocolate makes a comeback every winter. From children to adults, it becomes everyone’s favourite seasonal drink as December approaches. Here is how to make the scrumptious hot chocolate at home!
Ingredients:
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup hot water
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Process:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa powder, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and stir in the milk, do not boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into mugs and serve immediately. For best taste, top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. Hot chocolate can be served with a bevy of items. These include marshmallows, tea biscuits, chocolate-chip and shortbread cookies. Top tip: If you are someone who is health conscious, you can swap the sugar for ¼ cup of honey, maple syrup or ½ cup coconut sugar. To make it a dairy-free hot chocolate, you can use almond or soy milk instead of the regular one. Happy sipping!
