Hot Chocolate

Winter is coming (for all my Game of Thrones fans) since snow already fell in October. So now it's time to crack out the crazy christmas mugs and sip some creamy hot cocoa while the weather gets cold.

Sassy Santa

Around this time last year Gerred and I drove down to the waterfront to watch the sunset one morning. We got there and sat on a bench overlooking the water, but we were too late and we missed it. We decided to just enjoy the morning and we cracked out our silly mugs and made hot chocolate from packets of Swiss Miss and candy canes. Then it began to snow and we continued to sip our hot chocolate.

So I want that kind of magic moment again except this time with real home made hot chocolate. Here's a recipe I've found that I'd really like to follow and add a candy cane or two to.

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

1/3 cup boiling water

3 1/2 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

I think I'll even pour some into a coffee mug and carry it around in the mornings. That way it'll look like I'm drinking coffee (even though I don't) so it can give me a certain edge.

"Oh this? It's completely full of coffee because I'm hip to the scene."