Hot Chocolate

Indulge yourself with these luscious winter drinks, says Hannah Miles

Red velvet hot chocolate (pictured above)


Serves 2

500ml milk
100g milk chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
a few drops of red food colouring
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
red velvet cake crumbs or sugar sprinkles, to decorate 
ice-cream scoop

Place the milk and chopped chocolate in a saucepan with the cocoa powder and heat over a low heat until the chocolate has melted and the cocoa is incorporated, whisking constantly.

Add a few drops of red food colouring to give the drink a nice reddish-brown colour.

Pour the hot chocolate into two cups, place a scoop of ice cream on top of each and decorate with cake crumbs or sugar sprinkles.

Serve immediately with spoons to eat the ice cream.

French vanilla hot chocolate

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Serves 2

1 vanilla pod
500ml skimmed milk
100g white chocolate, chopped
2 heaped tablespoons marshmallow fluff
finely chopped pistachios, to sprinkle

Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds by running the back of the knife along each half of the pod.

Place the milk, chopped chocolate, vanilla seeds and scraped pod in a saucepan over a low heat and simmer until the chocolate has melted, whisking all the time.

Pour into two cups and top each with a large spoonful of marshmallow fluff. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and serve immediately.

La bomba

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Serves 2

100g plain chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon icing sugar
500ml milk
200ml double cream
2 tablespoons rum, plus 2 shots rum to serve
piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle
2 shot glasses

Place the chopped chocolate in a saucepan with the sugar and milk and simmer over a low heat until the chocolate has melted, whisking all the time.

Place the cream in a mixing bowl with the 2 tablespoons rum and whisk to stiff peaks. Spoon the rum cream into the piping bag.

Pour the hot chocolate into two cups or heatproof glasses and pipe a large swirl of rum cream on top of each. (Do not fill to the very top as you need to leave room for the rum to be added.)

Serve the hot chocolate immediately with a shot of rum on the side. To drink, pour the rum into the hot chocolate and enjoy.

Hot Chocolate: Rich And Indulgent Winter Drinks, by Hannah Miles, with photography by Steve Painter, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £9.99.