Cold Weather and Hot Chocolate

One of the stories in the news that's caught my attention recently is the cold weather that's been happening in most of the United States. Friends and family have commented on the cold and snow, and a quick glance at the weather shows why. My parents' home in West Virginia has a forecast high of 22 degrees F tomorrow, as does my alma mater -- my former home of Boulder, CO is expecting a comparatively warm 43. In contrast, I'm planning to go practice Taekwon-Do in the park on Sunday, enjoying the Bay Area's sunshine and 60 degree temperatures.

I'm not trying to gloat over the weather here on the west coast; in fact, one of the things I regret about moving to California is the lack of snow and cold. Some of my most fond memories involve being outside in frigid weather. I love the silence that comes with deep snow, the calm it brings. I also think being out in the cold is invigorating; having to contend with the basic necessity of staying warm and dry brings a certain clarity of purpose that I find refreshing.

Of course, coming out of the cold into a warm house is also a great feeling, especially when you sit down and enjoy a hot drink. For times like that, I can think of nothing better than hot chocolate. For those of you who aren't enjoying the balmy California weather right now, I give you with my favorite recipe for homemade hot chocolate. It's much tastier than instant cocoa; plus, making it from scratch is more fun than scooping powder from a tin. I look forward to making this for my sons in a few years, after a long afternoon of being out in the cold, building snowmen, taking walks in the silent woods, having snowball fights, and generally enjoying winter. Until then, perhaps it will make the weather many of my friends and family are currently enduring more pleasant.

I learned how to make this hot chocolate at Simply Recipes, a blog I highly recommend if you're looking for new things to try in your kitchen. Below is my favorite variation; have a look at the original recipe for other ideas. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 4 cups of whole milk
• 8 ounces of chocolate (60% cacao, preferably)
• 3 teaspoons of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (optional)
• 1 ounce spiced rum (optional)

Method

1. Finely chop the chocolate into small pieces. The pieces have to be able to dissolve easily in the liquid.
2. Place the milk into a small, thick-bottomed pot on low heat and bring to a low simmer. Whisk once in a while to ensure that the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, salt, five spice powder (if using) and chocolate and whisk vigorously until the chocolate has melted.
4. Add the rum to the mixture, if using.
5. Heat for another 4 minutes, constantly stirring.

Pour into mugs and serve. Add a dollop of whipped cream if you want.

Serves: 4
Cooking time: ~20 minutes