‘Creamiest hot chocolate’ just might please Goldilocks

“It’s definitely the creamiest hot chocolate I’ve ever had,” news editor and taste tester Liz Baumeister said as she tried the latest offering from the Times Leader test kitchen.

“Too creamy?” I asked.

“No,” she replied with a laugh. “To quote Goldilocks, it’s ‘just right.’ “

Adding that the homemade whipped cream on top made it even better, Liz gleefully showed how the cream appeared to have formed a heart shape on top of her drink.

Since the polar vortex, or if you prefer, Old Man Winter, has sent so much cold air our way this week, I decided to offer the taste testers something warm and comforting. And I found plenty of recipe variations for homemade hot chocolate online — some calling for sweetened condensed milk, or half-and-half or heavy cream.

I opted for something a little lighter, a recipe at celebratingsweets.com that suggested using whole milk or 2 percent. Because I had a gallon of skim milk in the refrigerator, I decided on a double recipe and used 7 cups of skim milk plus 1 cup of half and half (which was left over from one of Mark’s recent recipes.) I also added a dash of cinnamon.

Since we also had heavy cream in the refrigerator, left over from Mark’s recent strawberry shortcake, I asked him to whip some for topping the hot chocolate.

At the office, reporter Margaret Roarty, page designer Lyndsay Bartos and intern Carrie Wagner were fans of the homemade whipped cream; Margaret and Lyndsay found the hot chocolate itself a bit too rich — and if you think you might be in their camp, just skip the half-and-half and stick to milk.

We did add some hot water to Lyndsay’s mug to dilute the hot chocolate, and she liked it that way better.

Meanwhile, columnist Bill O’Boyle pronounced the hot drink “very good” as it was, and a sixth taste tester called it “marvelously creamy.”

At home, Mark said “homemade hot chocolate is always good.”

I agree; it’s a good cold-weather treat.

And, while making it from scratch isn’t exactly as easy as tearing open a packet of a powdered mix, it’s almost as easy. I made this batch in a saucepan on the stovetop, then put in a slow-cooker to keep it warm in the newsroom. Here is the recipe from the Celebrating Sweets blog, plus Mark’s instructions for that people-pleasing whipped cream.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

4 cups milk (preferably whole or 2%)

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions: Place milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium/medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until warm (but not boiling). Add chocolate chips and whisk constantly until the chocolate chips melt and distribute evenly into the milk. Whisk in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt (if desired), serve immediately.

Mark’s Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

If you want to keep things simple, you can place all three ingredients in a bowl and start mixing. Mark prefers to start by beating the cream; then he adds the sugar and vanilla and beats until soft peaks form.

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