Alternative Hot Chocolate

I recently did a blog post on the perfect hot chocolate and looked at what makes a good cup of our favourite winter drink. Milk, cream and good quality chocolate are top of the ingredients list but why not try something different yet equally delicious? Sometimes it's good to spice it up a little and try something new, I think you'll love these alternative hot chocolate recipes from Waitrose. Let me know what you think!

Hot Chocolate Orange

Your young and not-so-young guests will love this delicious orangey treat.

Ingredients (serves 8)

3 x 568ml whole milk
8 strips of orange zest, pared using a potato peeler
300g Green & Black’s Organic 70% Dark Chocolate, broken into small pieces
3 tbsp light brown muscavado sugar

Method

- Pour the milk into a saucepan with the strips of orange zest, and bring slowly to a simmer
- Remove from the heat and infuse for 10 minutes, until the milk is flavoured by the orange zest.
- Return the milk to the heat and add the chocolate and sugar. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate has melted. Pour into mugs and serve with marshmallows toasted on the bonfire.

Chilli Hot Chocolate

This is the most fantastic combination of rich chocolate with spicy chilli. South Americans have been matching these ingredients for centuries - we are just catching on!

Ingredients (serves 8)

1.136-litres whole milk
2 red chillies
200g Waitrose Continental Plain Chocolate, broken into small pieces
200ml single cream

Method

- Pour the milk into a saucepan. Carefully slice the chillies in half lengthways and deseed, leaving the stalks attached in order to remove them from the milk easily. Add to the milk.
- Slowly bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and infuse for 10 minutes, so that the milk takes on the chilli flavour.
- Reheat the milk, add the broken chocolate and cream and stir on a low heat until the chocolate is dissolved.
- Remove and discard the chillies. Serve garnished with a slice of fresh chilli.