In honor of our first real snow of the season (and it’s a good one… 8″ on the ground so far!) here’s an easy homemade hot chocolate recipe that will cook itself while you play outside with the kids!

This hot chocolate is everything we love. Thick, creamy, rich, chocolate-y… it is just plain delicious!

This is definitely not your open-a-packet-and-add-some-water hot cocoa. It actually reminds me more of that sipping chocolate that Starbucks had a few years ago.

Oh and the best part? You throw it all in the slow cooker and you’ve got perfect hot chocolate without the work!

We like to enjoy ours with Peppermint Schnapps (for the non-pregnant grownups!) or peppermint syrup (for the rest of us!) and lots of marshmallows or whipped cream!

Slow Cooker Rich & Creamy Hot Chocolate Recipe
adapted from Mrs Happy Homemaker
makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
6 cups milk (or 2 cups milk & 4 cups water for a lighter version!)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Dump all ingredients into the slow cooker, stir and cook on low for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally if you think of it.

Serve hot with fresh whipped cream or lots of marshmallows (and a shot of peppermint schnapps for the grown-ups!).

An icy, rich, decadent frozen drink… with flavors that hint at a warm cup of hot chocolate, but are hidden in a slushy bowl of refreshing-ness (is that even a word?!) and brightened with a shot of coffee liqueur…

We now have a way to enjoy our favorite hot chocolate drinks even on the hottest days of summer!

We are not huge chocolate fans in this house (I know… you’re shocked, aren’t you?) so I decided to go with out favorite combination of flavors when I made our “remembering 9/11… with frrrozen hot chocolates“ treat the other day…

Yep, peppermint & white chocolate!

(I’m not sure if we’re stuck in a rut, or just really like peppermint and white chocolate, but that’s beside the point…)

I used white chocolate chips and a couple of tablespoons of yummy peppermint candy cane hot cocoa powder… which is why this drink is not completely white (and why the top has a few tiny red flecks on it!).

I also ‘grownup-ed’ it up by adding a bit of coffee liqueur to Andrew and my servings. Yes I did just made up another word.

Two in one post… I’m on a roll today! :o)

Of course you can use your favorite dark or milk chocolate (or combination of the two!) for this drink…

Just remember… the better quality ingredients you use, the better the finished product will taste!

Peppermint White Chocolate Frozen Hot Mocha Recipe
adapted from the Sweet Serendipity cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup good-quality white chocolate chips*
2 tablespoons store-bought hot chocolate mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cream
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk, divided (1/2 cup + 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2oz coffee liqueur
whipped cream, optional
hot chocolate powder for garnish

Directions:
In a double boiler (or a glass or metal bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water) melt the white chocolate chips, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and combine, stirring constantly, until smooth.

Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the cream, 1/2 cup of the milk and peppermint extract. Whisk until smooth. Set the bowl aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the white chocolate mixture, the coffee liqueur - if using, and the ice. Blend on HIGH until smooth. (This will be more the consistency of a Frappuccino than of a milk shake!).

Serve with whipped cream on top and a sprinkling of hot chocolate powder for garnish!

(This makes one Serendipity-sized drink… or 2-3 normal servings!)

*When buying white chocolate chips at the supermarket, here’s a tip to knowing if they really are white chocolate chips and not just ‘vanilla flavored chips’:

Check the ingredients! If there is cocoa butter, then you’re good to go! (And the higher up on the list that cocoa butter is, the better!) If there’s no cocoa butter in the ingredients list… stay far, far away from those fakes! :o)