When the weather turns cold, something about a steaming cup of hot cocoa is both delicious and comforting. This guide provides simple methods on how to make hot chocolate using cocoa powder or melted chocolate. It also reveals how to make a quick cup in the microwave and whip up tasty variations with everything from cayenne pepper to peppermint schnapps.

When you curl up on a chilly day, nothing hastens relaxation like a sipping on a cup of rich hot chocolate as a comforting treat. Although it's technically only "hot chocolate" when melted chocolate is used to flavor the drink, and "hot cocoa" when it features cocoa powder, either version will be a crowd pleaser if you follow these simple steps.

• Whether you prefer blending your hot chocolate with real chocolate pieces for richness or with cocoa powder for added convenience, these hot chocolate recipes will hit the spot. Both will create three to four servings.

• What You'll Need
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Saucepan
• Spoon or whisk
• Stove
• Mugs

• What to Do

1. Stir the cocoa, sugar and water together in a saucepan.Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa
2. Place the pan over medium heat.Hershey's Kitchens: Hot Cocoa
3. Stir the mixture constantly and allow it to boil for two minutes.Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa
4. Stir in the milk.Hershey's Kitchens: Hot Cocoa
5. Heat until steam rises, but don't let the mixture come to a boil.Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa
6. Stir in the vanilla extract.Food Network: Ellie Krieger's Hot Chocolate Recipe
7. Pour the hot chocolate into mugs.
8. Top with whipped cream, if desired.Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa

• What You'll Need
• 3 cups milk
• 3 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Whipped cream or cocoa powder (optional)
• Saucepan
• Stove
• Spoon or whisk
• Mugs

• What to Do

1. Combine milk, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan.Martha Stewart: Hot Chocolate
   • -You can substitute white chocolate for the bitter or semisweet chocolate if you prefer the taste.Recipezaar: White Hot Chocolate
2. Place over medium-low heat.Recipezaar: Hot Chocolate
3. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted, about 10 minutes.Martha Stewart: Hot Chocolate
4. Remove from heat before stirring in the vanilla.Recipezaar: Sinfully Rich and Delicious Hot Chocolate
5. Whisk the mixture until it's foamy.Martha Stewart: Hot Chocolate
6. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream and cocoa powder, if desired.Recipezaar: Hot Chocolate

• When you want a cup of hot chocolate with less clean up, you can also mix quick servings in the microwave in under five minutes.

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Whipped cream (optional)

• Chocolate shavings (optional)

• Microwave oven

• 2 microwave-safe mugs

• Spoon

• Blender or whisk (optional)

1. Combine the water, cocoa and sugar in a microwave-safe mug.Recipezaar: Starbucks Hot Chocolate

2. Heat in the microwave on high for one to two minutes to create a syrup.Recipezaar: Starbucks Hot Chocolate

3. In a different mug, warm the milk in the microwave on high for one minute.Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa for One

4. Stir the milk and vanilla into the hot cocoa mixture with a spoon.Recipezaar: Starbucks Hot Chocolate

5. Make the hot chocolate slightly frothy by whisking it or pulsing in a covered blender, if desired.Eating Well: Hot Chocolate

6. You can also top the mugs with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving, if desired.Recipezaar: Starbucks Hot Chocolate

• Give your hot chocolate extra flavor and zip by adding new ingredients to the mix.

1. Grind a candy cane with cocoa, sugar, creamer and skim milk powder to create a minty hot chocolate mix.Recipezaar: Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
2. To create a minty hot chocolate for the adults, add peppermint schnapps along with the peppermint sticks.Food Network: Michael Chiarello's Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps Recipe
3. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give the hot cocoa a little kick.Food Network: Alton Brown's Hot Cocoa Recipe
4. Create a sophisticated blend by incorporating spices like cardamom, cloves, star anise, nutmeg and crushed red pepper.Epicurious: Spiced Hot Chocolate
5. Make a quick cup of peanut butter hot chocolate by mixing instant hot chocolate mix with creamy peanut butter.All Recipes: Peanut Buttercup Hot Chocolate
6. Actually melt marshmallows into the hot chocolate to create a gooey blend.All Recipes: Fluffy Hot Chocolate
7. Flavor the hot chocolate with real vanilla beans as a rich complement.Martha Stewart: Vanilla Hot Chocolate
8. Use coconut milk in place of regular milk to create an extra sweet cocoa.Real Simple: Coconut Milk Hot Cocoa
9. Crushed toffee and butterscotch chips turn hot chocolate into a decadent treat.Food Network: Rachel Ray's Toffee Hot Chocolate
10. Add brown sugar instead of white for a richer flavor.Recipezaar: Brown Sugar Hot Chocolate
11. Use soymilk to turn the hot chocolate into a dairy-free beverage.Recipezaar: Dairy Free and Delicious Hot Cocoa
12. Blend hot chocolate with ice cubes to create a frozen dessert.Rachel Ray: Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate

• Recipezaar: New England Hot Chocolate

• Recipezaar: French Hot Chocolate

• Epicurious: Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream

• Food Network: Paula Deen's White Hot Chocolate

• Food Network: Emeril Lagasse's Hot Chocolate Drink

• Recipezaar: Hot Chocolate Deluxe

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