Pioneer Womans Hot Chocolate Slightly Modified Recipes

PIONEER WOMAN'S HOT CHOCOLATE, SLIGHTLY MODIFIED

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. .
• Stir in chocolate chips. Stir until melted ("though there will still be lovely particles of chocolate throughout," the Pioneer Woman's words, not mine.).
• If it's too chocolatey for you, splash in a little more milk. If it's not quite sweet enough for you, add 1 teaspoon sugar (I added the sugar).
• Serve in mugs, and it should be rich and creamy, and perhaps even better with whipped cream and/or marshmallows.

DELICIOUS HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• To make the basic hot chocolate, combine the milk with the half-and-half in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, and then stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until melted (though there will still be lovely particles of chocolate throughout). If it's too chocolaty for you, splash in a little more milk. Add a splash of vanilla extract. If it's not quite sweet enough for you, add 1 teaspoon or so of sugar. Serve in mugs with whipped cream.

FANCY HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For the chocolate decorations: Put the melted chocolate into a pastry bag and snip off a tiny hole at the tip. Pipe lacy chocolate designs--just larger than the tea cups you're using--onto a baking mat or piece of parchment paper. Allow to set completely.
• For the hot chocolate: Combine the milk and half-and-half in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, then stir in the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips, sugar and vanilla, heating until melted and combined. Transfer the mixture to a teapot.
• To serve: place a lacy chocolate piece over each tea cup and pour over the hot chocolate. When the chocolate has melted into the cup, top with the whipped cream and enjoy.