The last time we were in New York, we stopped by the City Bakery for some hot chocolate on a cold wintry evening. As expected, it did not disappoint. It was thick, rich, and dreamy. We recently decided to try making some of our own. It was remarkably good and bore quite a resemblance to its inspiration. If you want to try your hand at making some…

Ingredients

•    3 cups whole milk
•    1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
•    2 tablespoons cornstarch
•    1 pinch of cinnamon (optional)

In a 3 quart saucepan combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla and warm up over low heat.

In a separate bowl combine the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a bowl

Place jumbo marshmallows on a silicone baking sheet in the oven or toaster oven on broil.

Cook until just toasted on top.

Whisk the cocoa mixture into the warm milk mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium low heat while whisking constantly to prevent from scorching.

Remove the hot chocolate from the heat just after it comes to a boil. It will rise up dramatically at that point and can overflow if you do not remove quickly. The mixture will be very thick and rich. Use a ladle to serve. You can almost see how rich and thick it is below. Top with ice cream, toasted marshmallows, or whipped cream and enjoy!

The kitchen basics:

If you are interested in a particular item, there is an embedded link in each picture to make it convenient for you to click on the item and get in time for the holiday baking season.