Ahira's Hangar

Hot Chocolate
submitted by: Fist and Faith

I was just reading the "Easter" thread, and it set me to thinking about hot chocolate. Wrong time of the year in the northern hemisphere - what with it getting warmer these days - but here it is anyway. My favorite hot chocolate!! (And I've tried a lot!)

First of all, *ALL* hot chocolate, from scratch to packages of instant, should be made with milk. (That's all I'll say about that, because if I get started on making it with water, we'll be here all day!)

Second, go out and get yourself a Cocomotion by Mr. Coffee. You throw in the ingredients - just milk and chocolate chips works, btw - and hit the button. It blends everything perfectly! Whoever invented it didn't get paid enough, whatever it is.

But don't worry if you don't have one. Put all the ingredients in a pot on the stove. It takes more time and effort, especially to mix the chips thoroughly, but it works.

And here's what I think should be thrown in:
1) Your typical coffee cup/mug's worth of milk. It comes to about 1 1/8 cup.
2) Two heaping teaspoons (not a measuring spoon, just the smaller size that you use every day.)
3) One HEAPING spoon (same spoon) of Hershey's cocoa powder. The unsweetened, baking stuff.
4) A little vanilla. I don't know, several drops. Experiment.
5) A bunch of chocolate chips. Which kind is personal preference. You can use milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or any combination. I use about an eighth of a cup, and end up needing a bigger cup to pour the final product into, but it's all to your taste.

So anybody else a bit of a hot chocolate maniac with a favorite recipe? My wife has it with me every time (which was every night for a couple of months during the cold weather), but also likes a cup of milk and a quarter cup of white chocolate chips.

And hey, all serious chocolate discussions are welcome!!