the best hot chocolate

If you are one of the many people in the midwest or northeast faced with several inches of snow and icy cold temperatures, get out your saucepan– I have some hot chocolate for you.

I grew up drinking mugs of Swiss Miss with those weird hard marshmallow bits, and I’ve whipped up batches of Abuelita hot chocolate on the stove, but this is hands down my favorite. Of course, once you realize how easy it is to make this delicious beverage, it gets a little dangerous. My cream intake last winter was through the roof– so pace yourself.

I’ve made this so many times now that I can mix up a mug without thinking about what I’m doing. Makes one mug-full:

2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chocolate syrup

Mix everything together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constanly until it’s steaming. Don’t allow it to boil. Pour into a mug, and enjoy.

Commercial chocolate syrup is fine, but if you like to limit your high fructose corn syrup intake, you can make a batch of this chocolate syrup. I like to keep a jar of this in my fridge. There are endless variations on this recipe. You can make a spicy Mexican hot chocolate by letting a cinnamon stick steep in the saucepan for a few minutes and adding a pinch of chile powder, or you can stir in a spoonful of caramel sauce, or you can add a few drops of peppermint extract. If you want a grown-up version, add a glug of baileys or kahlua. I topped mine with a minty marshmallow left over from Christmas.