I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

hot chocolate

Thirsty Thursday- Italian Hot Chocolate with Orange Scented Whipped Cream

Italian Hot Chocolate with Orange Scented Whipped Cream is the indulgent treat that will forever change how you make hot chocolate. Each sip is perfect.

 

Post from 1/10/13, pictures updated 12/9/18

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

Do you ever just have one of those days that really really suck? Yesterday was that day for me. Really bad. Well, let me explain…

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Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls

Amanda picked peppermint for this week’s theme Thirsty Thursday. I honestly can’t stand peppermint outside of the holidays. However, from the day after Thanksgiving to New Years it is full on peppermint explosion. But then nope, not happening at all (with the ice cream exception)!!! So bare with all of my minty recipes now, including this recipe for Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls.

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When I was younger I would take Godiva hot chocolate truffles and put them into cups of hot milk and stir like crazy so melty ribbons of chocolate would swirl around the cup before I would take a big gulp. It was my favorite thing to do at my dad’s house at the holidays. Since I made a hot chocolate mix last week I figured I would make a hot chocolate truffle for this week to transport me back in time.

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While you can make these hot chocolate truffle balls like me with peppermint extract and Andes Peppermint Mint Chips on the outside, you can make them in a variety of ways.

  • A plain truffle would be nice with a sugar and cocoa powder mixture on the outside.
  • A truffle with some cinnamon extract and a cinnamon and cayenne mixture on the outside for a Mexican hot chocolate.
  • Use a orange, hazelnut, or raspberry extract without coating. Really the flavor possibilities are endless!!

I hope that you enjoy my Hot Chocolate Truffles as well as Amanda’s Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. The peppermint and chocolate combination is such a hit that we both featured the peppermint in hot chocolates, but in very fun, very different ways.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls

Makes 12 truffles

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips

Process

  1. In a heavy bottom sauce pan or in a double boiler, melt the chocolate, cream, sugar, and salt together on low heat. Whisk consistently until smooth. Add the peppermint extract prior to removing from heat.
  2. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature and then put into the refrigerator to completely chill.
  3. Once solid, scope out into 12 truffle balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill again for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Roll the chocolate into balls, then chill again until completely solid and formed.
  5. Push the Andes mint chips into the surface of the ball. Stone in the refrigerator for 1 week.
  6. Enjoy your hot chocolate truffle with 8 ounces of hot milk. Drop the truffle in and stir until the ball has melted.

Thirsty Thursday: Hot Chocolate Mix

hot chocolate mix

Do you know what you should not do? You shouldn’t forget about the hot chocolate you are making on the stove and then be utterly surprised when it overflows burning on your new glass top stove. yep, that’s happened… twice…

Well, you should totally make hot chocolate (and pay attention to it) and to do so you should mix up this hot chocolate mix. It’s great to enjoy snuggled up under a cozy blanket while watching a movie or RHofsomewhere. It also makes for a fantastic gift. It is quick to mix up, packages easily, and is so yummy.

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I made this basic hot chocolate mix to get things started. Not basic in being ‘meh’, but basic in that it is a great base for you to create specialty flavored hot chocolate. I love starting with one recipe and making some modifications to create something fun and different.

  • Swap out the semi- sweet chocolate chips for some peppermint chips for a peppermint hot chocolate.
  • You can use peanut butter chips instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Awesome.
  • Or you can use caramel chips and triple the salt for a salted caramel cocoa.

But wait, there’s more! Amanda has flipped hot chocolate on it’s head with a Frozen Hot Chocolate. I’ve always wanted to try Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3 in NYC but have never made it there so this is the perfect chance to make it at home myself! If you can’t get to the frozen hot chocolate, bring the frozen hot chocolate to you!

Hot Chocolate Mix

Fills 8 1/2 pint mason jars

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 10.5 oz package of mini marshmallow
  • 8 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips, mini is preferred

Process

  1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a very large mixing bowl. Divide the mix up in bags or air-tight containers.
  2. To make hot chocolate- in an medium sized sauce pan, combine 8 oz of milk with 3 tablespoons mix. Heat gently to warm and melt the chocolate chips. Stir occasionally so the milk and chocolate do not burn on the bottom. Top off with more marshmallows or whipped cream and sprinkles. Enjoy!