Brandied Hot Chocolate Recipes

ORANGE BRANDY HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Into a cup of steaming hot chocolate, stir in the orange brandy and orange bitters if using. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, then eat a few spoonfuls of whipped cream if no one is looking. Zest some orange over the whipped cream for aroma and prettiness and to impress your dinner guests with very little effort.

WORK-A-HOLIC'S HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the cornstarch over 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk well.
• In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat, bring the remaining 2 cups of the milk and the vanilla bean just to a simmer. Remove the bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the milk.
• Cook, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a full boil, about 3 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl. Serve warm.
• Add to the vanilla cream the chopped chocolate chunks and a boiled cup of milk. Mix until smooth. Any flavor can be added- raspberry, cinnamon, holiday ginger spice, marshmallows. The semi-sweet chocolate can be substituted with milk or white chocolate.

BRANDY ALEXANDER WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the milk, the vanilla bean halves, and a pinch of salt and bring the mixture just to a boil over moderate heat. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Scrape the seeds form the vanilla bean back into the mixture, discarding the pods, and reheat the mixture until it just comes to a boil. In a small heatproof bowl, combine the chopped chocolate with about 2/3 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the remaining milk mixture and simmer the hot chocolate, whisking, for 2 minutes. Stir in the Cognac and the crème de cacao. (For a frothy result, in a blender blend the hot chocolate in batches.) Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and top it with the whipped cream and the shaved chocolate.

APRèS-SKI HOLIDAY HOT CHOCOLATE WITH BRANDY AND CREAM

Steps:

• Gently boil the milk in a large heavy based saucepan, remove as boiling point is reached.
• Place chocolate in a small pan and add 2 tablespoons of the milk. Stir over a low heat until melted, then add the melted chocolate mixture into the remaining milk, stirring well.
• Add the sugar, cinnamon and brandy. Adjust to taste at this point.
• Serve the brandy hot chocolate in tall heatproof glasses or mugs, top with a dollop of whipped cream lightly dusted with cocoa powder or cinnamon.
• Serve with a cinnamon stick for a "stirrer"!
• Salut!