6 Hot Chocolate recipes to keep you warm
It’s the perfect time for uplifting and comforting hot chocolate. We stock lots of chololate, powdered chocolate, carob and drinking chocolates. Whichever way you like your mug of hot cholocolate, nutty, spicy or spiked, extra-creamy or dairy-free – we have a recipe (and all the ingredients) to inspire you.
Firstly from close to home. Anna Marie, a welcome regular at Alston Wholefoods, has shared with us this wonderfully quick and easy recipe. Ideal for when you need an instant mood enhancer.
T
he Raw Chocolate Company Hot Chocolate
For one mug Anna Marie recommends:
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of The Raw Chocolate Company Organic Cacao Powder
- 1 teaspoon of Greencity Clear Honey (or to taste)
- A dash of sea salt
- Quarter fill with milk (or milk alternative, see below)
- Top up with boiling water
- Whisk well.
For a different twist add a pinch of Chilli, or Tumeric, or Cinnamon.
Luxurious Hot Chocolate
We sell cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods and whole nutmeg. If you use our Montezuma 73% Dark Cooking Chocolate to make this hygge drink you won’t pay any VAT.
- 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 litre/1¾ pints milk
- 150g/5½oz plain chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- sugar, to taste
Gently heat the vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon stick and milk in a saucepan until boiling.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until the chocolate melts.
Whisk the hot chocolate vigorously until frothy on top and add sugar, to taste.
Serve with a dusting of nutmeg.
Spiced Hot Chocolate
A favourite recipe from Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat.
Chilli may have lost favour as an ingredient in chocolate dishes in Europe, but for me this sweet, spiced version of hot chocolate is the best morning drink: rich, dark, and invigorating enough to keep me going until lunchtime.
- 1 2/3 cups milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 hot red chilli, halved and seeded
- 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet (70 percent) chocolate
- Brown sugar to taste (optional)
- Whipped cream, chocolate curls, cognac, or Amaretto, to serve
Place the milk in a saucepan, add the vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and chilli, and gently bring it to a shivering simmer for 1 minute. Grate the chocolate and whisk it in until it melts. Add brown sugar to taste if you like. Take off the heat and allow it to infuse for 10 minutes, then remove the vanilla, cinnamon, and chilli. Return to the heat and bring gently back to a simmer. Serve in mugs topped with whipped cream, chocolate curls, or a dash of cognac or Amaretto.
Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup double cream
- 5 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Warm milk and cream in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add chocolate, and whisk until melted and combined. Continue to warm mixture until thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in peanut butter until smooth.
Vegan Hot Chocolate and Coconut Drink
- 2 tbsp carob
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1-2 tsp date syrup or maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
- 400g tin full-fat coconut milk
Blend all of the ingredients and 300ml/10½fl oz water together in a food processor until super-smooth and well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a pan and warm over a gentle heat. Serve immediately in mugs.
Dairy-Free Spiced Hot Chocolate
- 1 litre almond milk, or other dairy-free option
- 6 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), chopped. Montezuma 73% Dark Cooking Chocolate is ideal
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low, whisking constantly, until chocolate has melted and mixture is steaming, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Milk Alternatives
If you are looking for dairy-free milk alternatives we stock a wide range made from many different ingredients: oat or almonds or rice or soya or hemp.
- Oatly Barista
- Oatly Original
- Minor Figures Organic Oat Barista
- Pure Oaty from Glebe Farm Organic
- Avena Oat Drink from The Bridge
- Organic Rice Drink from The Bridge
- Provamel Organic Soya
- Almond Breeze
- Good Hemp Seed Milk
- Good Hemp Barista Seed Milk
For instant dairy-free hot chocolate, we stock Rude Health Organic Dairy-Free Oat Hot Choc.
