Hot Chocolate Time

Hot cocoa is my favorite cold weather drink... Even more so than coffee, and you know how much I love coffee. So with a polar vortex coming in the near future, I decided to share some ways that spice up your hot cocoa over the next few freezing weeks. 

First, let's start with a batch of hot chocolate, then we can add embellishments.  


Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Recipe

This hot chocolate is prepared in your slow cooker, leaving you with very little work to do and a great result when it's done, but note that it does take a little advance planning, since it takes almost three hours to complete.

Yields 15 large mugs

Prep time: 20 minutes // Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes // Total time: 2 hours 50 minutes


Ingredients:
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 8 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
- Marshmallows or whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
1. Spray your slow cooker generously with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the slow cooker, combine the unsweetened chocolate, milk chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well, and cover the slow cooker.
3. Cook on high for 30 minutes, stirring the chocolate every 10 minutes to help it melt.
4. Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly. Store in vanilla. Add the pinch of salt.
5. Cover, and cook on high for another 2 hours.
6. Stir it right before serving.

Now for the embellishments. Add these to your homemade batch of hot chocolate for a very special cup of cocoa.