Name: Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 3 cup whole milk; 1 tablespoon ground hazelnut; 3 tablespoon milk chocolate (grated); ½ teaspoon caster sugar; 2 tablespoon condensed milk; 1½ teaspoon cocoa powder; ⅙ teaspoon salt

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Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe uses hot milk that is whisked with ground hazelnuts and cocoa powder and swirled with condensed milk for added richness. This drink is then topped with crushed hazelnuts and chocolate shavings. A sip of hot chocolate is the perfect drink on cool fall evenings!

As fall sets in and the autumnal colors start to take hold, I’m always reminded that this is the pre-start of the holiday season. As the dog days of summer pass, the dry and sometimes sweltering Bay Area heat that basked in our evening barbeques gives way to the cool brisk morning air stark against the deep blue morning sky.

The green leaves slowly turn to a mild yellow, then to orange and finally to a deep red. It not only reminds me of the passage of time and seasons but also that it is time to start out with a new menu set to reflect the cooler days and upcoming holidays.

Origin:

And nothing is more quintessential than Hot Chocolate which is easy to make and the recipe is great on cooler days. While you would not be wrong in associating hot chocolate with Hershey, would it surprise you to find that this perennial autumn and winter drink could be as old as three millennia?

Indeed, historians by tracing the history to the humble cacao bean of Mesoamerica, think that it originated with the Olmec civilization of the Gulf of Mexico and eventually perfected by both the Maya and the Aztecs. They believe that cacao beans were ground with chilis and sweetened with honey and other ingredients and were served during religious ceremonies. As a chocolate aficionado, I can certainly appreciate and celebrate that!

As a consequence of the Colombian Exchange, the Spanish monarchy and aristocrats began partaking of this heated confection, sweetened with cane sugar. While the formula was kept secret, chocolate spread from Spain through France and Italy. This confection became so popular in Iberian society that chocolate was as synonymous with the Spanish as tea was addictive to the English.

Obviously with the Atlantic migration, the beverage arrived to colonial America via Europe in the late 17th century. At this time, cocoa processors began importing chocolate from Central America at the same time as they were importing sugar from the Caribbean. It was during the War of Independence when the British taxed tea that Americans began to drink chocolate … what a tasteful way of defying the British!

By the mid-19^th century, cocoa butter was added through ‘conching’. Conching is the process of mixing and aerating liquid chocolate where the naturally bitter elements of cacao and water evaporate, leaving a plainer product. Other ingredients such as nut paste or sugar is added to amend the taste of the chocolate. Long story short, while chocolate was once the purview of adults, by the Victorian period, it also became (almost exclusively) the province of children. Thus began the legend of making quick recipes of Hot Chocolate during winter!

Now, you would be equally surprised by the history of Hot Chocolate’s favorite accoutrement: the marshmallow. As far back as two thousand BC, the Egyptians were boiling pieces of the marshmallow root pulp with sugar and straining it to produce sweet deserts.

In fact, Althaea officinalis, has wide applications for various ailments including coughs, skin irritation, and digestive problems such as ulcers. But it was hard to cook and so in the 19^th century, it was replaced with gelatin. It’s hard to imagine a concoction with such a varied and storied history as the Hot Chocolate and marshmallow.

Other toppings:

marshmallows
whipped cream
caramel sauce
maple syrup
honey
crushed nuts
chocolate chips

Other flavors in Hot Chocolate:

coffee (espresso)
spices (ground cinnamon)
extracts (peppermint)
chili (a dash of cayenne pepper)

How to make this easy Hot Chocolate using my recipe:

In a medium saucepan, boil the milk. Add all the ingredients in and whisk together using an immersion blender.

boil the milk and whisk all the ingredients

2. Serve hot in glasses topped with chocolate shavings and crushed hazelnuts.

Tips:

1. Feel free to add heavy cream or half and half and omit the condensed milk to make the drink even richer.

2. You could use skimmed milk and reduce the amount of sugar to make a lighter drink.

3. Boil the milk on stovetop before adding the cocoa powder and other ingredients to make a smoother drink. If there are undissolved chunks, then strain the Hot Chocolate before adding the toppings.

Storage:

This Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe is best when enjoyed as soon as it is made. However, you could refrigerate any leftover for a couple of days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove and then add your toppings. Serve or enjoy this drink with Ground Hazelnut Cookies or Chocolate Cookies With Cream Filling!