Hot Chocolate for a Summer Night

I know what you're thinking...who in the world drinks hot chocolate on a 100 degree day?  Well, I have a reason, and I'm certainly not regretting the decision.  My poor little fella came home last night, and he was sooo tired, but he still had work to do.  We quickly ate dinner around 9:30, and around 10:00 he had to start preparing for today.  I really was afraid he was going to fall asleep on his computer, and I didn't want him to drink yet another cup of coffee, so I offered him some hot chocolate.

He agreed, and I got to work at finding a recipe.  I liked the idea of the one I found at All Recipes.  (I really like All Recipes because it customizes the recipe.  For example, this made 4 servings, but I only needed 2, so it instantly converted it for me.  Pretty great!)  All hot chocolates are pretty much the same, but this one had heavy whipping cream and a pinch of salt.  I was sold.

As I made the hot cocoa, I kept sneaking samples, and I got more and more excited about this warm beverage as the time arrived for it to be ready.  Finally, it was done, and I ladled it out into our two mugs.  It tasted wonderfully sweet and thick, but it also had and end note of saltiness which is just wonderful.  Here's the recipe so you can make your own!

Creamy Hot Chocolate

Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons white sugar

1/2 pinch of salt

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of boiling water

1 3/4 cup of milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

heavy cream or half and half

Directions:

In a saucepan, blend cocoa, sugar and salt.  Turn stove top to medium heat and add the boiling water.  (I just put the water in a mug and stuck that in the microwave for 45 seconds.)  Let this come to a simmer for about two minutes.  Whisk to make sure that it doesn't scorch.  Add the milk and heat until it's very hot, but don't boil.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.  Pour the heavy cream into the bottom of each mug until it just covers the bottom.  Then, ladle the hot chocolate into the mugs.  Drink away; it's delish.

And it did just the trick for my guy.  It allowed him to muster his energy to his work done before he fell asleep.