Brandied Hot Chocolate Recipes

Steps:

• Into a cup of steaming hot chocolate, stir in the orange brandy and orange bitters if using. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, then eat a few spoonfuls of whipped cream if no one is looking. Zest some orange over the whipped cream for aroma and prettiness and to impress your dinner guests with very little effort.

Steps:

• Gently boil the milk in a large heavy based saucepan, remove as boiling point is reached.
• Place chocolate in a small pan and add 2 tablespoons of the milk. Stir over a low heat until melted, then add the melted chocolate mixture into the remaining milk, stirring well.
• Add the sugar, cinnamon and brandy. Adjust to taste at this point.
• Serve the brandy hot chocolate in tall heatproof glasses or mugs, top with a dollop of whipped cream lightly dusted with cocoa powder or cinnamon.
• Serve with a cinnamon stick for a "stirrer"!
• Salut!

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the milk, the vanilla bean halves, and a pinch of salt and bring the mixture just to a boil over moderate heat. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Scrape the seeds form the vanilla bean back into the mixture, discarding the pods, and reheat the mixture until it just comes to a boil. In a small heatproof bowl, combine the chopped chocolate with about 2/3 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the remaining milk mixture and simmer the hot chocolate, whisking, for 2 minutes. Stir in the Cognac and the crème de cacao. (For a frothy result, in a blender blend the hot chocolate in batches.) Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and top it with the whipped cream and the shaved chocolate.