I half-joke that my Russian upbringing made me part husky. I get so giddy when I see fresh snow, I want to stop doing everything — sorry to my work colleagues — and just revel in the magic and serenity of a world blanketed in white. And I want to do it with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in hand.
My 9-year-old agrees that any good winter frolic should be followed by hot chocolate, ideally festooned with mini marshmallows. When he was younger, Avi preferred a mix. But this winter, when we rejoiced over two January snowfalls in one week, he decided that my simple homemade version is his platonic ideal.
Get the recipe: Classic Hot Chocolate
The recipe takes mere minutes and uses just three ingredients, not including salt: milk, cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate. I don’t add any sugar, and at first you might think the cocoa isn’t sweet enough. As you continue sipping, the drink will taste sweeter, but will never get cloying.
Start by warming milk — whole, reduced-fat or plant-based, if you like — in a saucepan while stirring in the cocoa and chocolate. (You can use any dark, bittersweet or milk chocolate if you prefer, but I find semisweet produces that classic hot-cocoa taste.) Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors even more, and bring the mixture to the barest simmer.
In minutes, you’ll have a hot chocolate that’s in a different league from the packet mix and doesn’t take that much more effort to make.
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If marshmallows aren’t your thing — shhh, don’t tell Avi — but a touch of spice is, add a pinch each of ground ancho chile and cayenne pepper for a throat-warming grown-up beverage. (And if you want something thicker and more decadent, we have several other options for you from our archives.)
And although a winter storm is the ideal excuse to treat yourself to hot chocolate, the only thing that’s nonnegotiable is how you drink it: holding the mug with both hands, inhaling the comforting aroma and savoring every sip. You might not even care whether it’s snowing.
Get the recipe: Classic Hot Chocolate
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