Hot Chocolate! (think: Coming to America)

Tired of Starbucks or making hot chocolate from a tear-away pouch?  Try one of these sultry Winter drinks to spice up your life and give your taste buds some action.

 'Holiday' Hot Chocolate:

-Ina Garten

Yields: 9 cups

4 cups whole milk

4 cups half-and-half

1 pound white chocolate, chopped

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans

optional: 1/4 to 1/3 cup orange flavored liqueur (I omit this ingredient)

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and half-and-half to just below the simmering point.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate.  When the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla, vanilla bean seeds, and optional orange liqueur.  

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

-Second City Soiree

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate

-Closet Cooking

4 servings

3 cups whole milk

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz white chocolate, roughly chopped

pinch salt

Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove from heat.  Add the chocolate and stir until melted.  Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

PC: Better Homes, Second City Soiree, Closet Cooking