Creamy & Rich Gourmet Hot Chocolate

THIS IS OFFICIALLY MY CURRENT FAVORITE HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE.

Sound the alarms, this is the best hot chocolate I've had since Max Brenner's Italian Thick Hot Chocolate. Oh mannnn it is GOOD. But like...super decadent and rich and creamy. If that's not your bag-then this isn't for you. That's ok, Michael's just like you, go ahead and make your hot chocolate with a lower ratio of chocolate or even just cocoa powder. That's cool. We can disagree. BUT if you're like me (*cough*smart*cough*) then you're gonna LUUUURVE this.

Now...this hot chocolate is perfectly perfect on its own BUT it is next level AMAZINGNESS when you add a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top. It makes it creamier and dreamier and even more indulgent. We're not thinking about our waistlines while we drink this. We're just thinking about how warm and happy it makes us feel and how wonderful it is that we live in a world where hot chocolate this fantastic exists.

LOOK AT THAT WHIPPED CREAM MELTING INTO THE THICK AND CREAMY CHOCOLATEY CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS. I feel like this is the sort of hot chocolate you'd sip at a cafe on the streets of Italy or Paris. You know, where I belong. A beautiful Mediterranean European city with flavorful food. *sigh* If only I spoke Italian, I would have moved there already.

I worked my family and friends into a tizzy when I posted the above photo on my instagram and facebook. I ended up making this again for my cousin when she visited last week because she gave me the puppy eyes and asked oh so sweetly. Probably unnecessary...I was going to take any excuse to make this luscious drink again. Hey, do you wanna come over and have hot chocolate???

Thick Italian Hot Chocolate

First of all--I'm aware it's March and spring is technically here (although, it is March-you never know. It snowed yesterday.) and I'm sharing a hot chocolate recipe with you. BUT I just want you to know that if you serve this room temperature or chilled in a small bowl or ramekin, it's essentially like a chocolate pudding or mousse or pot de creme. So it's a very versatile dessert that can be sipped warm or eaten chilled with a spoon! It's the perfect March dessert, really, you're prepared for whatever the weather decides to do!

Also...Easter is coming up. And I think if you served this "hot chocolate" chilled in pretty glasses or ramekins they'd be a pretty impressive holiday dessert. Just sayin'.

Now that we're done discussing the fact that this hot chocolate doesn't have to be hot chocolate....let's talk about it as hot chocolate. I tend to love most Italian style things--I love traditional Italian style pizzas (Neapolitan specifically), gelato, and pretty much all things I've been exposed to. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm 1000% on board with their way of doing hot chocolate--which is thick chocolatey indulgence style. Seriously...border-line pudding. Which I adore.

Is it the same as the Max Brenner's Italian Thick Hot Chocolate I so miss? 

No. It is actually thicker. 

Is this my favorite hot chocolate I've ever made? 

YES!

It's rich, and decadent, and thick, and pretty much insanely chocolety and perfect in every way.

In my ever so humble opinion.

Thick Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

One of the few things that I mostly keep standard on the whole "eating things seasonally" (I'm not not talking about vegetables--I'm talking like ice cream is for summer kind of thing) is that I usually only drink hot chocolate in the winter. But I'm also super picky about it--like...when I tell people that I only drink water and they make the weirded out face and then I inform them that I do occasionally drink orange juice or really good hot chocolate. It's true. I need it thick. I need it rich. None of that watery/milky cocoa powder gunk for me. RICH AND THICK! The ultimate epitome of this is Max Brenner's Italian Thick Hot Chocolate, but now that I no longer live in NYC I do not have easy access to that nectar of the gods (although I'm intending to try a copycat recipe soon) so I have to try out other versions myself!

One easy way to make any hot chocolate richer is to add in peanut butter. Instant yum. Which is why this is now def. one of my favorite homemade hot chocolates-rich, creamy, fairly thick, and peanut butteryyyyy! I really need to have heavy cream in my fridge at all times-can you imagine how tasty a peanut butter whipped cream would be on top of this??! I can--and it's DARN TASTY!

Mind you, I also fully loved my idea to put some toasted marshmallows and chopped peanuts on top. Although I will admit the peanuts might have made it a bit too chewy...hmmm...not sure. Regardless, I enjoyed it. Still not quite as thick as I'd like, but def. better than almost any version I've tried at home thus far. And Michael said it tasted like a melted candy bar, which is pretty much my meter for if I'm going to like it or not. And if you're a smart cookie like me, then you'll love it too!

Hot Chocolate in a Microwave-for One

'Tis the season for Kayle to try out more hot chocolate recipes!!! 

Generally, I eat whatever I want, regardless of the time of year. But hot chocolate...well....it's hard to muster up the energy to drink it when it's hot outside (excluding my beloved Max Brenner's hot chocolate....I'll drink that wherever, whenever!) BUT! It's cold! And nothing sounds nicer when you're shivering in your apartment because your landlord doesn't turn the heat on half the time, than a nice big mug of hot cocoa. 

Mmmmm but I don't know about anyone else but sometimes when it's chilly, I just wanna lay under the covers and be lazy. It can be hard to muster up the energy to, not only leave aforementioned covers, but to leave them long enough to actually make make something. Which is why this hot chocolate is so brilliant! You can make it in a microwave AND it is so much richer and more delicious than that powdered stuff most of us grew up on*! AND it's single serving. One big mug of hot chocolatey goodness, that you don't need to share-yessss. (This is good for me because Michael usually doesn't like his hot chocolate as rich as I do, but if you have more peoples to make this good stuff for, just multiply the recipe by however many people you need to!)

*(in my opinion)

Has it happened? Have I found a homemade hot chocolate recipe that lives up to Max Brenner's??!

...well...no.

BUT it is deliciously full of dark chocolate flavor. And creamy. And rich. And as good as any other homemade recipe I've made thus far (with the exception of maybe this one, and def. excepting the s'mores hot cocoa...but that's just because of s'mores), with the added bonus of being QUICK and eeeeeasy to make! And, woot woot, no extra dishes!

Now, put on your slippies (or as some of you lame people might say, slippers), a warm robe, your fave jammies, and cuddle up with a big warm mug of this hot chocolate. Maybe watch some My Fair Wedding on Netflix. Or 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family. Yeah...that's a good day.

S'mores Hot Cocoa

OMG GUYS!

Do you know what I'm doing right now as I write this??

WATCHING MYSELF ON TV!

(The Investigation Discovery show "My Dirty Little Secret", "Green Widow" episode. I play Nicole Samuels :D)

Like...on my TV. On a TV show. This is craziness. 

You know what else is craziness (in the totally awesome way that seeing myself on TV is craziness)?

S'MORES HOT COCOA.

S'MORES.

HOT.

COCOA!

ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME??!

(I apologize for all the caps, I'm a smidge excitable)

When I first saw this recipe on the Chocolate Moosey I was like, "Um, well, that's the best thing I've ever heard of." Then when I finally bought myself some cookie butter from Trader Joe's I was like "Ahhhh I'm gonna make myself some s'mores hot cocoa! Whatwhaaaat!" (imagine some dancing and hands raising the roof). And I didn't even have to share. Michael doesn't like this. So I waited until I came home one day and it was cold outside, and I was like "It is time. I will have myself some s'mores hot cocoa now. Yes."

Let me 'splain to you how insane this hot cocoa is.

It's like a surprise. You make the hot chocolate itself and you're like "Ugh this is like a super plain, not even that chocolatey hot chocolate, I am not sure about this." 

Then it's fun, because you get to toast marshmallows, and you're like "If nothing else, these are delicious."

Then something magical happens-you whisk some of the toasted marshmallows into the hot cocoa (with some cookie butter) and it transforms into a thick, luscious concoction.

You throw it in a mug (if you're super cool like me, it'll have Disney Princesses on it), plop a marshmallow, some chocolate, and graham cracker crumbs on top and you have yourself the perfect cup of hot cocoa for any s'mores lover.

And in case you haven't heard, I am a huge s'mores loverrr.

(that sounded kinda dirty?)

(I'm cool with it.)

Seriously-obviously you taste the chocolate. But the toasted marshmallow flavor is also totally present, and the cookie butter does a phenomenal job of giving you that graham cracker taste. I'm completely obsessed.

Creamy Hot Chocolate

Brrr.

It's cold out there.

Sometimes you just need a warm mug of chocolatey comfort, don't you agree?

I made Michael and I this hot chocolate after I returned home from babysitting on NYE, it was a wonderful comforting way to end the year-snuggling on the couch with my honey, watching Smallville, and sipping on mugs of wonderfully creamy hot chocolate. I only regret that I did not have whole milk, so I haven't yet tried this as it was intended, but hopefully soon. The way I made it, it tasted pretty similar to the other hot chocolate recipe I've shared with you guys, but I'll update you if it tastes drastically difference with whole milk. Thus far I still have not had the pleasure to make a hot chocolate that is as good as Max Brenner's...but perhaps....someday....a girl can dream right? Mmm wonderful, thick, hot chocolatey dreams.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

You know. I had things to do today.

Grocery shopping, to be exact.

But it's raining.

And, in New York City, when you don't have a car, you really shouldn't grocery shop in the rain.

So, instead, I've been catching up on blog stuff (in addition to re-watching The Vampire Diaries and cooking). I have a whole bunch of posts, ready to be shared.

But...I'm going to let you see those later. Today, I have a brand new recipe.

Like...I just made it. I'm drinking this right now.

I figured, if you're having a rainy day too, you deserve a nice little treat like this.

Frothy Hot Chocolate

Yes...those are Disney princesses on my mug. Why do you ask?

It snowed. In October. And is freezing. So, I'm officially declaring it winter! And since it is winter, it is cold. And since it is cold, we need something warm and comforting in our bellies. And what's more classic for just that than hot chocolate? One night Michael and I were chilly and in the mood for some hot chocolate, so I used this recipe I had. I absolutely loved it-it was thick, chocolatey, and delicious-a perfect cup of hot chocolate in my opinion. Michael, as you are learning, does not share my taste preferences usually. This was no exception. He thought it just tasted like melted chocolate and he wanted one of those dried hot cocoa packets instead. *sigh* What am I going to do with him? This recipe definitely makes enough for 2 to drink a good amount, so if I make it again I shall have to half it, since it'll be just me. Such is life. Regardless! This is suuuuper yummy if you like the same kind of hot chocolate I do! So make it!