So it’s officially Autumn and that means it time to light up the Yankee Candles, crank up the heating, fill the hot water bottles and, more importantly, perfect your hot chocolate recipe. Today’s post is about how I like to assemble (I say that as I don’t really ‘make’ anything) the perfect hot chocolate with the help of just 5 ingredients, a glass/mug thing that every blogger seems to own and some useless, but rather pretty, paper straws (does anyone actually use these?).
First of all prepare your basic hot chocolate mix. I love to use 3 heaped spoonfuls of the standard Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate. I’ve used it for years but apparently the Bournville cocoa powder offers an even richer taste so I think I’ll try that next time. I always heat my hot choc up on the hob slowly, so I can keep an eye on the temperature; there is nothing worse than that disgusting milky skin that can form when it’s heat up to quick and on too a high heat.
Then I add my Monin Caramel Syrup (£3/250ml). I use this in my lattes too. This stuff is like liquid gold! A tablespoon should do the trick but it’s up to you really. Monin’s also do a gingerbread version which I will be keeping my eye out for again this year. Their syrups are also available in vanilla, hazelnut and chocolate cookie.
Once ready, pour into your favourite mug and give it a lovely big swirl of skooshy cream (go on don’t be shy!). Now, this is where I use my secret weapon, the Starbucks Drizzle Sauce. This is available in all Starbucks for around £3 and will transform your boring hot chocolate into a thing of pure perfection!
I then decorate it with a nice slab of chocolate and Dr Oetker’s Salted Caramel Crunch Pieces available at Tesco for only £1.
What are your favourite twists on the traditional hot chocolate?
