Believe it or not – chocolate has healing capacities! It is that comfort food to look forward to when things around you seem pretty low. Even when it is festive, a piece of chocolate can be symbolic of the celebration and can bring people together.
To top that, when you choose to order gourmet chocolates from brands like Melt, the celebration takes a tenfold effect. In fact, these can also become a splendid gourmet chocolate gift for your events; corporate or housewarming, chocolate has a lot to offer!
Now, when you step away from its basic form, chocolate has evolved in so many more versions. For instance, if you have a cup of hot chocolate on a winter evening in your hands, you will end up having the perfect evening one could ever ask for!
That said, it’s time to swear off those instant mixes and get more creative by curating special hot chocolate recipes from scratch!
Let’s look at some of these interesting ways to create a perfect blend of a delicious cup of hot chocolate for yourself!
- Liquid Gold Tahini Hot Chocolate
This hot chocolate truly tastes like pure liquid gold because of a special ingredient in it – honey. While the taste is a perfect blend of honey and chocolate, the presence of tahini profounds its taste by giving its nutty flavour to the recipe.
To make this recipe at home, take a small saucepan, put it over low heat and pour your milk in it. In this, whisk some tahini, honey (starting with 2 tablespoons), vanilla extract, instant coffee powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
Bring this mixture to a boil until the milk is just shy of scalding and then bring it off of the heat.
At this point, add chopped chocolate and do not stir; allow the chocolate to fully melt in this hot mixture.
Now check for sweetness and if you want, add another tablespoon of honey to it.
Lastly, pour this tahini hot chocolate into small mugs and top it with whipped cream and sesame seeds for that professional look; serve it while it is piping hot for a perfect evening filled with deliciousness and comfort!
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
Peanut butter is another nutty flavour that also blends perfectly with chocolate to give you a delicious flavour and a perfect cup of hot chocolate.
Making this recipe is also quite simple; all you have to do is start by adding milk to a high-speed blender. To this, add chocolate morsels and peanut butter and process it on high for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth, hot and frothy.
Pour this mixture into mugs and get ready for the most interesting part – the toppings!
Get creative and mix whipping cream and sweetener in an electric mixer. As soon as the mixture has reached a point where it forms soft peaks, top your peanut butter hot chocolate with this mixture.
For finishing touches, drizzle on some melted chocolate and melted peanut butter for that extra flavour.
- Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
Peppermint and white chocolate is probably the best combination out there to try for yourself. We’re sure that this hot chocolate recipe will definitely override all the other recipes that you might know.
To make this, begin by combining milk and cream (or half & half) on a large saucepan over medium heat.
Bring this mix to boil while stirring occasionally, until it is hot throughout. Now add your white chocolate and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and well incorporated.
At this point, add your vanilla and peppermint extract.
Finally, you can serve this mixture with a candy cane on the side of the glass or add crushed candy canes around the rim for better aesthetics.
Remember to serve this hot chocolate while it’s still hot to get a fuller flavour and call it a day!
To Sum Up
Looking out for yourself is one of the prime things that shouldn’t be ignored in any case. With the busy schedules and routines, it is natural that you will feel tight and getting time for your own happiness can become difficult.
However, only if you look after yourself first, you can function smoothly in your other tasks. So why not indulge yourself in this beautiful art of creating gourmet hot chocolate recipes and look after yourself a bit?