Heavenly hot drinks for winter

There’s nothing more soothing and satisfying than a hot chocolate on a cold winter night. Don’t settle for just Milo or boring cocoa, you can turn up the dial to decadent with these tasty twists and make a hot drink taste extra heavenly.

Creamy Milky Bar hot chocolate

Serving size 6–8

When it’s too cold and miserable to head to Max Brenner for hot chocolates can you create your own version of their Italian white thick chocolate at home.

Ingredients

Creamy vanilla cream:

• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 2-1/2 cup full cream milk
• 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, split, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Hot chocolate:

• 1 cup of milk
• 2 x 50 gram Nestle Milky Bar or Cadbury Dream white chocolate rough, chopped

Directions:

For the vanilla cream:

1. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of milk and sprinkle the cornflour over the top of it and whisk it until dissolved.
2. Add sugar and the egg and continue to whisk well and put aside.
3. In a medium-sized pot, add the 2 cups of milk and the vanilla bean and bring to a slow simmer.
4. Remove the vanilla bean and scrape only the seeds into the milk mixture.
5. Using a whisk, gradually add the cornflour and egg mix into the milk which has been simmering.
6. Bring to the boil and if you are using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, stir it into the mix now.
7. Using a sieve, strain the mixture to avoid any lumps.

For the hot chocolate:

1. In a small pot bring 1 cup of milk to the boil.
2. Using a spoon, stir in the chunks of Milky Bar and add the vanilla cream. Whisk until smooth.
3. Serve in mugs with saucers and sprinkle chunky, chopped bits of dark or milk chocolate on the top of your drink and on the saucer for decoration

Sin-free cookies to complement your hot chocolate >>

Super spiced hot chocolate

Serving size 4

Feeling cold? This little fiery chocolate hit will warm you from the outside in and is super quick and very easy.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of pre-made drinking chocolate or Milo with full cream milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 4 cinnamon quills

Directions:

1. In mugs, make cups of hot drinking chocolate or Milo as per instructions on the packaging
2. In a pot, pour the contents of the drinking chocolate or milo, add the chilli and the nutmeg and, using a whisk, combine well. Bring to a slow simmer.
3. Pour back into the mugs and slide a cinnamon quill into each mug

More chocolate recipes for the die-hard chocoholics >>

Decadent thick hot Italian chocolate

Serving size 2

Fans of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory who fantasised about swimming in a river of melted chocolate will die for this recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 2 cups full cream milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, on a low heat, melt butter.
2. Whisk in cornflour until combined and dissolved
3. Increase the heat gradually to medium-high, add the milk and sugar and bring to the boil while stirring until mix thickens.
4. Once mixture starts to thicken, turn down the heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir until melted.
5. Serve hot and keep any left over as it is still delicious cold.

More winter recipes

More drinks to keep you warm in winter
New twists on hot chocolate
Winter cocktail party ideas