Spicy Perfect Hot Chocolate

Chocolat is one of my favorite movies, and it's pretty telling that it's a movie all about chocolate. My love for chocolate knows no bounds. I love it in any form, whether it be melted and drizzled over strawberries and cheesecake, frozen into a rich decadent fudge ice cream, or whipped into a cloudy fluffy mousse. Chocolate and I have a love affair that will last a lifetime. The movie is a love letter to chocolate, and whenever it's cold outside I crave the movie and this hot chocolate right here. In the movie, one of Vivian Rocher's specialties is a dark thick spicy hot chocolate. When I take a sip, I am immediately transported to the chilly French village of Chocolat.

Because homemade hot chocolate is so easy to make, I had the opportunity to test this recipe several times to make sure that it was exactly what I was looking for. I know, such hard work guys. I wanted a hot chocolate that would be like drinking uninterrupted viscous melted chocolate, and to have enough spice to tingle the back of the throat without being overpowering. This is my perfect hot chocolate, and it's so unbelievably easy to make.

What makes this recipe enchanting:

A hot chocolate tailor made to my specific tastes: thick, rich, and a little spicy
Very customizable! You can add as much or as little chocolate as you want, and nix the cayenne if spice is not your thing
It's a cozy and fun alternative for dessert, great for a date night in

More recipes for chocolate treats:

Generous mug of hot chocolate for one, can be easily doubled for two:

1 cup milk of your choice (I use almond milk)
¼ cup of semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup of milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder (optional)
2 splashes of vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of ground cayenne, about 1/16 teaspoon
Big pinch kosher salt

Directions: In a medium-sized saucepan, add all of the ingredients and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until all of the chocolate is melted, making sure to scrape the bottoms and sides of the pan to get any chocolate that gets stuck. Once the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds, just to get it really nice and frothy. Pour into your favorite mug and allow to cool for about 3 minutes, to avoid burning the tongue. Add marshmallows, whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, some chocolate shavings... Choose your own adventure. Enjoy!

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