sprinklefingers

i’m the type of gal who’s always hot. winter, spring, summer or fall i sleep covered only in a sheet and a light blanket. i’m not much for winter coats. as i type this the heat hasn’t kicked on in our house yet this morning, but i’m sitting here in a teeshirt. and i’m not cold.

because i’m always hot, it’s difficult for me to get in the mood to sit down and have a mug of hot chocolate. not because it’s not delicious, but because a. i rarely sit down and drink anything and b. i’m always too hot to get hotter. but this hot chocolate is an exception. it’s so delicious that it demands you sit down and enjoy it…whether you’re hot or not.

the best part? you can double the recipe and refrigerate it for days - when the mood (or the temperature) for hot chocolate strikes, simply warm some up, pour it in your favorite mug and enjoy.

note: this recipe calls for whole milk, and you should use whole milk. none of this nonfat business, you hear me?

vanilla bean hot chocolate
makes 4 - 8oz servings (although it’s very rich!)

you need:

• 1 qt whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped - pod reserved for another use
• 5 oz best quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 oz best quality milk chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 t vanilla sugar - or to taste
• healthy pinch kosher salt

make the hot chocolate:

1. in a small saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean scrapings. do not boil, but do allow it to nearly simmer for 10 minutes.
2. whisk in the chocolates, vanilla sugar and salt. continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth and even.
3. stir the mixture over low heat to bring it back up to temperature.
4. pour into cups (or directly into your mouth,) and enjoy.

note: if your hot chocolate is too thick for your liking, simply add a few additional splashes of hot milk to thin it out a bit.

another note: this hot chocolate can be made and then stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. simply reheat over low heat to serve!

one more note: you should give jars of this as gifts. simply make an adorable tag which instructs recipients to store the jar in the fridge, add in some instructions on reheating and you’ve got yourself the perfect treat for giving!