Hot Cocoa| Easy Hot Cocoa Recipe

‘Hot chocolate is like a hug from the inside,’ said someone, and they were so very right. A well-made mug of hot chocolate indeed feels like a giant bear hug, warming up your soul and making life look better almost immediately. I would say hot cocoa has the same magical properties. When you can’t make a cuppa hot chocolate, for whatever reason, hot cocoa works just as fine. Well, chocolate anything has the power to uplift your spirits, right?

What’s the difference between ‘hot chocolate’ and ‘hot cocoa’, you ask? Hot chocolate is made using milk and real chocolate, often with embellishments like orange peel, hazelnuts, almonds, cinnamon and the likes. Hot cocoa, on the other hand, is made using milk and cocoa powder, with or without the embellishments. Hot cocoa is thinner – and less rich – as compared to hot chocolate. Both taste different from each other, but both are equally gorgeous. I often don’t have chocolate at home, so a cup of good hot cocoa does the trick for me when I’m feeling cold or sick or down in the dumps. 🙂

July 7 every year is celebrated as ‘World Chocolate Day’, a celebration of all things deliciously, wonderfully chocolate-ey. In commemoration of this special day, our Foodie Monday Blog Hop group is presenting chocolate-based recipes, today. I decided to go with this Easy Hot Cocoa Recipe that I make often and absolutely adore, but have never shared on my blog.

So, here’s how you make some heavenly but easy-peasy Hot Cocoa!

Ingredients (yields 1 mug):

1. Full-fat milk, a little over 3/4 mug
2. 1 tablespoon cream
3. 2 tablespoons sugar
4. 1-1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5. A pinch of cinnamon powder
6. 2-3 almonds
7. 2 squares of milk chocolate
8. 1 slice of candied orange, with peel

Method:

1. Take the milk, cream, sugar and cocoa powder together in a saucepan. Place on high flame and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, chop the almonds into slivers. Chop the milk chocolate and candied orange roughly. Keep ready.

3. Once the hot cocoa has come to a boil, switch off gas. Mix in the cinnamon powder, and pour it into the mug.

4. Garnish the hot cocoa with the chopped almonds, candied orange and milk chocolate. Serve immediately.

Notes:

1. I used a standard-sized mug to make this hot cocoa, and the above measurements are reflective of the same. Adjust the quantity of milk, sugar and cocoa as per personal taste preferences.

2. The cream is added for a little bit of indulgence and to make the hot cocoa thicker. However, if you don’t want it, you can skip it altogether or reduce the quantity you use.

3. You can skip the milk chocolate in the garnishing, if you want to. The candied orange and almonds are optional too, but I would not suggest skipping them, as they uplift the hot cocoa like anything.

4. You can skip the cinnamon powder if you don’t like it. I add in very little because I like it that way.

5. Use full-fat milk, cream that is very fresh, and good-quality cocoa powder, for best results. I have used Cadbury’s unsweetened cocoa powder here.

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This recipe is for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop group that I am part of. Every Monday, the members of the group present recipes on their blogs, based on a pre-determined theme.

The theme this week is #KuchMeethaHoJaye, in commemoration of World Chocolate Day, as I was saying earlier. Today, we are all talking recipes made using chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.

The week’s theme was suggested by Renu of Cook With Renu. Check out Renu’s blog for some amazing bakes and beautiful recipes!

I’m also sharing this with Fiesta Friday #283. Your co-hosts this week are Antonia @ Zoale.com and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.