Rich and Smooth Cocoa To Keep You Warm, Cozy and Happy

Aaah, the cozy evenings by the fire. Or on the couch with a book. Or watching your favorite show on Netflix… Well, you get me. Nothing spells hot cocoa like holiday season or winter in general.

Kids often ask me to make some, or they want to learn to make it themselves. The reason I say “learn” because most often we make it from scratch and not from the packet. And because it is the season for all things decadent, I’ve decided to share a recipe of hot cocoa for both the kiddos and the parents.

When I was a kid, winter was theater season and we especially looked forward to performances at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater. The building itself looked enormous back then, but even to an adult, it is a grand structure with a huge chandelier and walls of windows with a pretty panorama of the city of Vilnius. It has three stories inside and for us kids, who would get a bit tired from all the culture, intermission was the perfect time to explore the foyer and go up and down the stairs into the boxes. But besides being a popular spot for evening entertainment, the Opera House is also famous for, believe it or not, its hot cocoa, or, how we call it in Lithuanian, “karštas šokoladas” (karshtas shockoladas). You may think: “What’s the big deal?” But let me tell ya, it was the real melted chocolate, served in an espresso cup and you would literally eat it with a spoon, not drink it. Now that I am thinking, it was so rich that I always had trouble finishing it! “Karštas šokoladas” was the reason for the lines at the bar and if you wanted to try some before the next act, you better get out of your seat and run right when the curtain draws at the end of the first one.

So the other day, when I decided I would do a post about how we can make hot cocoa differently, I remembered the “karštas šokoladas”. And even though I am too far away to bring my kids to the Lithuanian National Opera House in the winter time, I can at least try and recreate the thick hot chocolate of my childhood.

“Karštas šokoladas”

Ingredients

Milk, 1 cup

Dark chocolate, ½ bar (for lighter, more liquidy drink) or whole bar (for the thick drink). I used Ghirardelli premium baking bar, 60% cacao, but I’d think any dark chocolate would do.

For adults:)

Red wine, 3 oz

Preparation

1. Break up the chocolate into small pieces, place it into a microwave-safe bowl and melt it (make sure it does not burn).
2. Heat milk in a pot on the stove.
3. Add melted chocolate to the milk and stir until milk comes to a boil.
4. You will end up with a thick “drink”. Pour into a cup and serve.
5. For adults – add 3 oz of your favorite red wine. I used the one in the picture.
6. Enjoy!

This is a very rich dessert, so honestly, even though this is a serving for one person, you can easily share with someone;)

How do you make your hot cocoa? 

What is your favorite drink in the wintertime?

Let me know in the comments below!