One of my favorite things to do during the winter season is drink hot chocolate! I mean, what’s better than snuggling up with a blanket, a good movie or book, and a cup of cocoa?

Earlier this morning, I remembered going on a mad hunt in Italy for this special hot chocolate that everyone RAVED about. Unfortunately for me, every time I went it was closed, so I never tried it. But, out of this nostalgic moment, I decided to look up an online recipe for the special Italian hot cocoa and started my Google search, until I wondered what other countries have special hot chocolate recipes.

And voila! After a bit of research, I found some great hot chocolate recipes for you from around the world! I haven’t tried them all (yet), but each one sounds completely delicious! Some you sip, some you eat with a spoon, but all of them you’re sure to love.

 Italian Hot Chocolate:
Cioccolata Calda, as the Italians know it, is rich, smooth and promises to make your cold day a bit warmer whether you eat it with a spoon or sip it! Recipe credit to Paula Jones

What You’ll Need:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate 70% or higher
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons corn starch

What To Do:

1. Into a saucepan over LOW heat add chocolate and a smidge of milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted.
2. Slowly add remaining milk until it’s well combined. Add sugar. Mix to combine. Whisk in corn starch.
3. Continue cooking over LOW heat until it becomes thick, creamy and coats the back of the wooden spoon.

Mexican Hot Chocolate:
Being half Mexican, this is definitely a holiday time favorite of mine! It’s close to your traditional “American” hot chocolate, but with a bit of a cinnamony flair. Plus, it’s rather simple to prepare!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 tablet Mexican chocolate (I like Ibarra brand)
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar (chocolate tablets are already somewhat sweet)

What To Do:

1. Break a tablet of chocolate into pieces.
2. Place in a saucepan and cover with about three cups milk.
3. Add vanilla and chili if you like, and bring to a simmer.
4. Once the chocolate dissolves, remove the pan from the burner.
5. Place the stirring stick upright in the chocolate, and whirl it between your palms

Belgian Hot Chocolate:
Already known for having the best chocolate in the world, you can bet that Belgian hot chocolate is bound to be one of the best things you’ve ever tasted! Recipe credit to David Lebovitz

What You’ll Need:

• 1 quart (1l) half-and-half or whole milk
• 8 ounces (230g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 ounces (115g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

What To Do:

1. Warm about one-third of the half-and-half or milk, with the chopped chocolates and salt, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
2. Whisk in the remaining half-and-half or milk, heating until the mixture is warmed through. Add the cinnamon.
3. Use a hand-held blender, or a whisk, and mix the hot chocolate until it’s completely smooth. Serve very warm.

Spanish Hot Chocolate:
This is another one you can slowly sip or eat with a spoon! It’s rich, creamy, and seems perfect, especially because this recipe in particular comes from someone’s Nana!

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2-4 tablespoons sugar, or more, depending on sweet you like it
• 4 tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder
• 2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch (use less for a more drinkable product and more for a thick, pudding-like finish.)

What To Do:

1. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and arrowroot powder or cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan.  Take care to smash any lumps.
2. Whisk the milk into the powder.  The powder will not dissolve in the milk, so don’t worry.  The goal is to simply to mix it at this point.
3. Place the pan over a medium flame or heat and whisk constantly. Watch for the following changes.
   • First, the powder will dissolve and it will begin to look like chocolate milk.
   • Next, the mixture will darken and begin to thicken slightly; Take care to scrape the whisk across the bottom and sides at this point to prevent scorching.
   • Finally, the mixture will become very bubbly and thick. When it reaches this point, remove the pot from the burner immediately.

Moroccan Hot Chocolate:
If you’re looking to try something completely different, this Moroccan recipe might be your best bet! It calls for orange zest and other spices, giving you a delicious twist to the traditional hot chocolate.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 cups 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar 2 inch piece orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
• 2 teaspoons food-quality rosewater
• 2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

What To Do:

1. Place spices in saucepan and stir in milk and sugar.
2. Bring to a simmer for three to five minutes, then cover and steep for 10 minutes.
3. Strain the milk through a sieve and reheat, and stir in the chocolate until it melts.

Russian Hot Chocolate:
This recipe also has an orange twist, but this time it’s in the topping! It definitely sounds too good to pass up. Recipe credit to The Food Channel

What You’ll Need:

Orange Creme Fraiche Topping:

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Finely grated orange rind, to taste

Hot Chocolate:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter

What To Do:

 

There you have it! Those are just a few recipes from around the world to try this winter season! And if you’re just not feelin like cookin up some delicious hot chocolate, I’m sure adding a bit of Bailey’s or Kahlua to your hot chocolate packet will prove to be just as tasty ;) Regardless of which recipe you decide to try, have fun and let me know how it goes, but most importantly, ENJOY!

xoxo,

Celeste