With the holidays and Antarctic temperatures upon us, coffee slowly takes a step back and hot chocolate takes center stage – for now.
Not sure if it’s just me (probably is) but if Google AdWords is any indication, cold weather seems to signal a general increase in searches for “hot chocolate” and related terms, peaking around December, and ending around March. At least, this seems to be the case for us in the Northern Hemisphere.
If you’re sick of having just sugar, peppermint, and milk in you hot cup of cocoa, you owe it to your inquisitive entrepreneurial mind (see how I fit that in there?) to try these fun takes on hot chocolate below.
Credits to Sheknows for the infographic.
Notes
- Hot chocolate is always better when made at home. Always.
- If you work from home— hooray!
- Use solid chocolate, not cocoa powder. This is crucial and spells the difference between creamy and buttery or sandy and chalky.
- It tastes even better when shared with employees and coworkers.
- Raw sugar, muscuvado sugar, honey — all of these make for a more interesting cup than white sugar.
- You can also try Habanero peppers in place of Cayenne for a stronger yet fruitier kick.
- You can also use coconut or soy milk if you’ve got dairy issues.
- Bourbon (not Scotch), rum, amaretto, and schnapps are great for making things extra special.
- Dark chocolate allows you to more precisely tailor how milky or creamy your chocolate is. Start dark and just add milk to taste.
- You can add a shot of espresso to any of the recipes for a great way to kick off the day.
- Cherries are another great addition. In my opinion anyway. Other people complain it makes everything taste like cough syrup.
- Top off your hot chocolate with your favorite ice cream for an ultra-decadent experience.
- Enjoy your chocolate while you can.
Love hot chocolate? Think it sucks? Tell the world what flavor of wrong you are in the comments below.