This old fashioned, rich & thick Hot Chocolate is just what you need during cold winter days and especially for the Holidays!!
We live in South Florida and other than visiting family up North, our cold days are very far and few in between cold fronts brushing through our area. But we love to go Christmas lights watching driving around from neighborhood to neighborhood, cold AC blasting in the car, while holding on to our cups of this creamy drink my kids call Hot Choco Hug in a Mug!!
Mediterranean Hot Chocolate
Most Mediterranean and some Balkan countries make a similar version of hot chocolate. In my native language Albanian we simply called it Kakao. Some other countries call it some iteration of Hot Cocoa.
While there are differences on some ingredients from country to country, they all use a little cornstarch to thicken up the drink.
Something else that we have in common in the way we make hot chocolate is that we all use whole milk. Whole milk does this amazing job of both balancing bitterness of cocoa and enhancing other flavors.
I love to try recipes from around the world and I found this article from Tasting Table very interesting on types of hot cocoa or chocolate around the world:).
Ingredients
These are the ingredients I use to make this luscious hot chocolate. Please see the recipe card at the bottom for detailed instructions and quantities.
- whole milk – you can try other types of milk, but maybe cut the recipe to one serving and test how it tastes. I’ve always done this with whole milk so don’t know if other types would work.
- sugar – I tend to add a little less sugar than most, I use 3 tbsps of sugar for 4 servings.
- cornstarch – 1 tbsp cornstarch for a thick consistency
- unsweetened good quality cocoa – I can’t emphasize this enough, if you want a gourmet hot cocoa or hot chocolate, you need to get some good quality unsweetened hot cocoa. It’s hard to recommend a brand, I currently use one I found at (affiliate) Whole Foods and it’s available online as well.
- dark chocolate – I tend to add some pieces of dark chocolate into the mix for extra flavor. Also, grating few pieces of chocolate serves as great garnish over whipped cream at the end.
- vanilla extract – I use ½ tbsp of vanilla for 4 servings
- pinch of sea salt – sea salt balances the sweetness in this drink.
Toppings for Hot Chocolate
You can serve this thick, comforting drink simply like that, no added garnishes. However, the below toppings are popular and you can’t go wrong with any of them:
- Whipped cream, usually homemade
- Marshmallows
- Shaved chocolate
- Candy canes
Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 4 ozs dark chocolate
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Place a medium size saucepan on the stovetop at medium heat.
- Add milk, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk constantly to incorporate everything.
- Add cocoa and keep whisking. As the milk gets hotter, lower the heat to low and keep whisking.
- Chop the chocolate roughly and add in. Whisk as it melts and incorporate it.
- Once hot chocolate gets thick, you can turn heat off and add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Whisk well.
- Serve the chocolate on desired cups. Garnish to taste with whipped cream, marshmallows, candy canes etc etc. I love to shave a little dark chocolate over the whipped cream, it looks and tastes great. Cheers and enjoy it:).
Notes
- Please note that serving size is estimated based on serving cups I have available. If your cups are a lot bigger, you might only be getting 2 servings out of this recipe instead of 4.
- Add toppings of your choice like marshmallows, whipped cream etc.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, you can reheat for a hot drink or eat the leftovers cold and it will taste like a light chocolate mousse, maybe not as thick.
- Cooking time is estimate and can vary on stovetop or pot you use. More important than time, it’s the thickness of the drink and how you whisk it.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please pin any of the pictures from this post to your boards in Pinterest. Let me know in comments if you have any questions, feedback etc. Thank you:).
Additional Recipes for The Holidays
This time of the year we tend to indulge a little more. If you are looking for additional recipes feel free to check out my cooking:
- Puff Pastry Tarts with Berries and Cottage Cheese
- Eggnog Cocktail with Kahlua
- Sugared Cranberries Moscow Mule
- Pistachio Cookies
- Chocolate Pudding
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