10 Quick Ways to Jazz up Hot Chocolate ...

Chocolate companies have used orange flavorings in their candy bars for years now -- the classic Terry’s Chocolate Orange is an example of where the perfect taste of orange and chocolate combine. So why not try my idea of adding some orange peel into your hot chocolate? Just add two or three strips of orange skin into your hot chocolate for a few minutes before drinking – a perfect orange taste.

The perfect summer adaption to your hot cocoa! By adding a scoop of ice cream to your hot drink, you enhance its creaminess. Do make sure that your hot chocolate is very hot though, or else you will be drinking cold chocolate!

Caramel sauce is the perfect accompaniment to your hot chocolate drink. Just add a spoonful of your favorite caramel sauce (Somebody's Mother sauce is my personal favorite) to your cup. You will easily see why it’s a worthy but quick way to jazz up hot chocolate!

It’s no secret that chocolate is a girl’s best friend – they say it’s diamonds, but we know it’s really chocolate. By adding shavings of dark or white chocolate to your cup of hot chocolate, you will notice the heavenly difference. If you are a fan of whipped cream, adding the shavings to the cream makes a perfect quick way to jazz up hot chocolate drinks.

If you are bored with the regular cow or soya milk in your hot chocolate, substitute some of the regular milk for coconut milk. You will give it a tropical twist that really makes it something special. Super quick, and delicious!

I’m probably the biggest fan of peanut butter on the planet, so it’s no surprise that I have tried adding peanut butter to my hot chocolate many times. By adding just two teaspoons into your mug, you can give any instant hot chocolate powder a new lease of life – just make sure that you mix it in really well. And, use the smooth stuff, not the crunchy!

Chocolate and peppermint have been the perfect partners for as long as chocolate has been around. If you add a stick of peppermint candy (or those free peppermint balls you get from restaurants) into your hot chocolate mug, you have a wonderful cold-curing hot drink. Not only the taste, but the wonderful minty aroma that it will give off will be sure to attract little sticky-fingered thieves!

It sounds strange I know, but hot sauce is great in hot chocolate drinks. Just like the range of chili-flavored chocolate bars, the spicy element mixed with your chocolate drink is gorgeous: the perfect adult-twist on the classic hot chocolate. Definitely one of my favorite ways to jazz up hot chocolate!

Why not merge your two favorite drinks? Coffee and hot chocolate go very well together – just mix in a teaspoon of instant coffee to the drink, or add a splash of freshly-brewed espresso. Perfect!

Completing my list of quick ways to jazz up hot chocolate is hot cherries. Add a drop of the juice from a jar of cherries, along with a couple of the actual fruits, and you have an amazing hot drink that didn’t require much effort at all. A brilliant way to incorporate some fruit into your drink whilst using left over cherries!

There you have it, my 10 quick ways to jazz up hot chocolate! Hopefully there are some tips here that you love – why not leave a comment and tell me how you got on with jazzing up your own hot chocolate drink? I’d be interested to hear who uses alcohol and what types (Amaretto is pretty amazing!).

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