The Best Hot Chocolate

The Best Hot Chocolate

The good - it finally rained yesterday. The bad - I was caught in the rain on the way home. Arrived at my doorstep and found out that I have a parcel waiting for me in the post office, courtesy of a piece of very wet collection slip. I have absolutely zero idea what the contents of the parcel might be! Picking up the still dripping wet parcel slip, I thought I should make myself a cuppa hot drink and call it a day. So, I thought, maybe I could whip up a mug of hot chocolate? So, to the internet I went, to search for a recipe.

This is the Best Hot Chocolate, ever! Not mine, but Jamie Oliver's. I love it! There's only four ingredients, and it wasn't too difficult to make, although it does require more steps than a packet of instant hot chocolate. But trust me, its worth it, although you have to be really careful with step 2, as it is a scalding hazard.

I didn't shake the hot milk in a jar, but instead I used this Bubble Maker, which basically is a battery operated aerator, to aerate and create foamy milk for the hot chocolate. Simply stick this aerator into the center of the milk, and wait until the volume of milk doubles. Use a bigger container to avoid spilling. The foamy milk is also good for making fancy coffees without coffee machine.

It is best to not put much sugar in the beginning, as the sweet marshmallows add sweetness to the drink. The hot chocolate melted the spongy marshmallows, creating a warm and comforting drink. I added a bunch of semi sweet chocolate chips to enhance the taste further.

The Best Hot Chocolate
adapted from Jamie Oliver
Ingredients
565ml full cream or semi-skimmed milk
2 tablespoons good-quality drinking chocolate
1 handful of marshmallows
sugar, to taste

Direction

1. This takes around 3 or 4 minutes to make. First put the milk into a pan. Bring to a simmer – not a boil – and while it's heating, put a tablespoon of choccie powder and sugar to taste into each mug. Add a little warmish milk from the pan to each mug – you just need enough to dissolve the chocolate powder. At this point, plonk a few marshmallows into each mug. When the milk is at a simmer, carefully pour it into a plastic jug or flask. I normally do this over a sink as I always end up spilling a bit (the trick is to have a big enough jug or flask so the milk only half fills it – you need the extra space for shaking and frothing).
2. Screw the lid on tightly, place a cloth over the lid for safety, and shake hard for a minute. Remove the lid, minding the steam, and pour the milk into your mugs. A little stir and you can slurp your way to heaven!

I am also adding Jamie Oliver's Best Hot Chocolate to Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids. Check out all the other wonderful rendition of Jamie Oliver's recipes from the rest of the talented bloggers.