Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose… It’s the time of year for watching Christmas movies, decorating the house, and curling up inside to stay warm. And the best accompaniment to all these things, is hot chocolate.

Whilst you can happily whip up a cocoa or a pre-sweetened chocolate drink in your microwave, there’s nothing like the real thing, made with real chocolate. And once you’ve nailed the basic recipe (and it’s super easy!) you can start playing around and making it really decadent. I mean, you’ve worked hard all year, right? You deserve to indulge yourself.

The Recipe

It’s really simple! You’ll need:

600ml milk
142ml double cream
100ml chopped chocolate
1. Pour the milk, cream and chocolate into a saucepan
2. Over a low heat, whisk or stir until smooth and combined.
3. Pour carefully into your Christmas mug, and serve with marshmallows.

Easy, right?

Want to make it even better? Try these variations:

• Add a dash of Kahlua or Baileys
• Add seasonal spices, a pinch of cinnamon and ground cloves
• Want a gingerbread flavour? Just add a pinch of ginger.
• Want a more grown up flavour? I like to use dark chocolate instead of milk, and with loads of marshmallows, it’s perfect!
• This last one is a little odd, but my boyfriend has been known to stir his with a peppermint candy cane, which gives it a candy cane flavour. Sweet!

Dress by Boohoo.com, gloves in top image, vintage calf leather, and hat from New Look.

So there you have it! A delicious, seasonal recipe that’s so very easy to make. Want more? You might like this tart recipe HERE or a chocolate biscuit cup to go with your hot chocolate HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram @hermioneflavia or Twitter @ craven_wild.