We’ve had a pretty solid three weeks of snow (if you also consider the 30+ inches we had while in Vail) and between the weather and being sick, I’ve left the house approximately 5 times during that time frame and I’m not even upset about it.  It’s my opinion that February is the worst and the less of it I see, the better off I am.

Something that always makes the inclement weather a little more fun – like a good old fashioned snow day – is this hot chocolate recipe.  It’s the best for three reasons. First, it uses semi-sweet chocolate, so it’s rich and dark.  Second, it has just a hint of peppermint which reminds me of the warmth of the holidays and helps me tackle what is left of this winter. Third, it’s literally easier to make than instant (and 100x better).  I’m confident this is the easiest and best hot chocolate recipe you’ll come across.

Peppermint Dark Hot Chocolate

Time: 5 minutes  |  Yields: 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 4 cups 2% milk (you can use whole if you’d like it creamier… I wouldn’t recommend skim, however)
• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vanilla Marshmallows (I make my own from this recipe, but store-bought work fine!)

Instructions:

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it’s steaming.  Pour over the chocolate chips and whisk until combined.  Add in the peppermint and vanilla extract and whisk a bit more.  Divide among 4 mugs and top with marshmallows!

Isn’t that so easy?  You heat milk, and you whisk it with chocolate… super simple, but so so so so much better than any powder you can buy.  The semi-sweet chocolate is what really does it for me.  It’s rich and dark without being too sickeningly sweet. You will NOT go back to your old hot chocolate after giving this a try.

Of course, if whipped cream is your thing, use that in place of marshmallows.

Is it cold where you’re at?  Do you think you’ll have a moment to give this a try?