By Megan-Josephine Reynolds
One of our favourite winter traditions here at GALWAYnow is cosying up with a cup of hot chocolate. Whether you like yours classic, with chilli, gingerbread flavoured, or even with a hint of mint, there’s a version for everyone.
As big fans of the indulgent treat, we have rounded up some gorgeous recipes to serve as inspiration the next time you whip up a mug of the chocolatey goodness.
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Take inspiration from this BBC Good Foods’ recipe, and try your chocolate with a hint of gingerbread!
Ingredients:
- 150ml milk
- 50ml double cream
- ¼-½ tsp dark brown soft sugar
- ½ orange, zested
- pinch of ground ginger
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 clove
- 2 drops of vanilla extract
- 50g dark chocolate, chopped
Method:
- Stir the milk, cream, sugar, orange zest and spices together in a saucepan, then bring to a simmer over a low heat.
- Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a jug, discarding the clove and orange zest.
- Pour the warm infused milk back into the pan and stir in the vanilla and chocolate until the chocolate has melted and is smooth.
- Return the pan to a low heat to warm through, if needed, then pour into a heatproof mug.
- Top with whipped cream and crushed gingerbread biscuits, if you like, then serve.
Chocolate-orange hot chocolate
Try the cheeky twist of chocolate and orange by whipping up this delightful drink from BBC Good Foods.
Ingredients:
- 150ml milk
- 50ml double cream
- zest of 0.5 orange
- 50g dark chocolate , chopped
- 25ml orange liqueur
Method:
- Heat the milk, cream and orange zest together in a saucepan until simmering
- Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a jug to remove the orange zest.
- Pour the infused milk mixture back into the pan and add the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted and is really smooth.
- Put the pan back on the heat to warm through then add the orange liqueur. Pour into a mug and serve.
The Ultimate Hot Chocolate
Finally, there really is nothing like a mug of classic hot chocolate, and Jamie Oliver’s epic hot chocolate recipe is so fantastically indulgent that it might be our new go-to.
Ingredients:
- 2 pints of semi-skimmed milk
- 2 tablespoons Horlicks (or Ovaltine, as a substitute)
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- 4 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 100 g quality dark chocolate (70%)
Method:
- Pour the milk into a large pan, and bring almost to the boil over a medium heat.
- Meanwhile, add all the chocolate mix ingredients to a large jar, finely grating in the chocolate, then give it a good shake to combine.
- You need around 10 heaped tablespoons of the chocolate mix for this amount of milk. Simply spoon the chocolate mix into the hot milk, give it a good whisk and leave to bubble away for a few minutes before serving – you’re looking for that gorgeous, thick, almost claggy, knockout texture.
