Dandelion Chocolate, the beloved San Francisco bean-to-bar chocolate company, has a suggestion for how to boost your hot chocolate this winter: Combine it with a gingerbread cookie. You'll end up with a fair amount of the gingerbread spice mix; use the extra as you would pumpkin pie spice in baked goods, cocktails and more.
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Recipe adapted from Lisa Vega, Dandelion Chocolate
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Spice Mix:
7 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
For the Hot Chocolate:
4½ cups nonfat milk, divided
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1½ cups chopped 70% chocolate
2½ teaspoons molasses
1½ teaspoons gingerbread spice mix
Marshmallows for serving (optional)
Directions
1. Make the gingerbread spice mix: Combine the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside.
2. Make the hot chocolate: Combine 1 cup of the milk and the brown sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat the milk mixture until steaming, whisking occasionally.
3. Add the chocolate to the hot milk and whisk to combine, continuing to heat it over the simmering water. Whisk the mixture for an additional 3 minutes, until shiny and emulsified.
4. Add the molasses and the gingerbread spice mix to the bowl, and whisk to combine.
5. Whisk in the remaining milk, adding it in a slow stream. Continue heating the hot chocolate until steaming, about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
6. Remove the bowl from the pot of water and pour the hot chocolate into mugs. Serve immediately, topped with marshmallows, if you'd like.