Good day, dudes.
I'm in total denial, I know. It's still 90+ degrees here in California, but September is here and I am ready for Fall no matter what. I will crank the air conditioner until my house is a prickling 62 degrees, toss on a cable-knit sweater, and watch The Nightmare Before Christmas until I can hop on a plane and make all these autumnal daydreams a reality back up in Washington.
This recipe is amazingly decadent, rich, and almost evilly satisfying. A little goes a long way, and it will do you good to dunk some almond biscotti into this on a cool morning, trust me.
This is my go-to for any given rainy day, and I've crowned myself the Baroness of hot chocolate. Why be humble about it? It kicks ass.
The Recipe
Makes 20 fluid ounces, to be divided up depending on your gluttony. Usually (4) 5oz. servings or (3) ~7oz. servings.
Ingredients
2 Cups Milk of Choice (I use almond milk, but soymilk, low fat, or even whole milk will work fine.)
3/4 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Baking chocolate or dark chocolate are also cruelly delicious.)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
OR
The tiniest pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
Directions
Add the milk to a sauce pan and heat on medium for two minutes, or until you see the tendrils of steam start to barely rise.
Add in your chocolate chips and brown sugar and whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes until all the chocolate has dissolved and it begins to thicken. You will notice how it begins to cling slightly to the wires of the whisk (or the back of the spoon) as you stir, and that's your indicator that it has thickened properly.
Add the pumpkin pie spice (or personal spice blend) and whisk for ten seconds slightly more aggressively so that air begins to incorporate into the mixture. This prevents the spices from settling on top, as well as giving you a very gentle, satisfying foam.
Pour into mugs or tea cups, depending on how generous you're feeling. Want the whole lot of it in a soup bowl for yourself? Go for it, I'm not stopping you. Who am I to deny anyone the pleasures of liquid chocolate?
If you're trying to stay clear of dairy, you can go with marshmallows as a garnish, but I find whipped cream to be the optimum topping. Feel free to dust some more of the spices over the top for professionalism and bragging rights.
Lose yourself in this stuff, kids. It is life-changing.
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