One of my favorite things to do with the kids during Christmas time is to walk around all the ‘lit up’ neighborhoods in San Diego. There are so many neighborhoods that go all out with Christmas lights, it’s unbelievably impressive!
We get bundled up and of course, bring a jug of hot chocolate. I’ve recently mastered my hot chocolate recipe and it is a winner! It’s decadent, smooth, and satisfying! It truly hits the spot. The kids also consider this a magical drink because they think it’s from the North Pole.
Let’s get warm and cozy!
Ingredients for Hot Chocolate:
2 cups Bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate pieces. (Please use a good quality like Ghirardelli)
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 14 ounces can Condensed milk, sweetened
1 1/2 cups Heavy cream
7 cups Milk
Peppermint Whipped Cream:
Ingredients for Peppermint Whipped Cream:
4 drops of Peppermint Extract
2 cups of Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar (more if you’d like it sweeter)
Crushed Candy Canes for garnish or peppermint marshmallows
First, you will pour in all of the Hot Chocolate ingredients and slowly heat them on the stovetop in a pot. Do not bring to a boil. Trust me, you do not want that slimy skin from the milk in your drink. Just let it simmer away and let the chocolate melt and have everything get warmed through.
Whisk a few times during this process. While this is heating up, make your whipped cream. Pour your heavy cream into a mixing bowl and add your peppermint & vanilla extracts, along with the powdered sugar.
Use a hand mixer until you form stiff peaks. You could also use a whisk and do this by hand, but who has time for that?
Right before you pour your drink into your cup or mug, make sure to vigorously whisk the hot chocolate until it gets slightly frothy. Then top it with as much or as little whipped cream as you like and sprinkle on some candy canes.
You could keep the rest of the hot chocolate warm if you’d like by pouring it into a slow cooker and leaving it on the ‘warm’ setting. Or, this would be a delicious recipe for a family gathering around the fireplace. Again, just keep it in the slow-cooker on warm so everyone can serve themselves. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did! Cheers!
