Food

Warm Up With The World's Best Hot Chocolate Recipe

This is the perfect comfort drink for freezing temperatures and winter weather.

There's something about winter and hot chocolate.

When I was growing up on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, the peculiar geography of where I lived (on the water, not far from the Olympic mountains) meant that substantial snowstorms would only come occasionally, maybe once every other year. When it snowed, our town would basically shut down for days on end, and all the well-known sledding hills would quickly fill up with lines of kids.

Decades later, all the sledding kind of blends together in my memory, while what seems to linger the clearest is the joy of getting home. I remember banging snowboots against the side of the house, and peeling off layers of snow-frosted clothes as a wood fire raged in the converted oil barrel that stood in our living room.

The best part, though, was warming up with hot chocolate and popcorn. Tired and sore, we'd sit and watch as cars attempted to drive up the hill our house was on. They'd make it to our house and then, inevitably, start sliding back down the hill. That was life before YouTube videos, kids! I remember how the hot chocolate tasted, somehow, exactly like the season we saw unfolding around us.

If you're feeling ready for a warm treat this season, here's a great recipe to take your hot chocolate up a notch. Whether you're warming up after shoveling snow, watching winter storms roll through, or simply seeking comfort during extended cold snaps, this hot chocolate will make you forget all about the freezing conditions outside. Enjoy!