How do I make better hot chocolate and warm drinks?

Hot chocolate made with powder is sweet and thin because it is mostly sugar with a little cocoa. Made with real chocolate melted into milk it is rich and thick, and it takes barely longer.

What you'll need

• Dark or milk chocolate
• Milk
• Small pan (optional)
• Whisk (optional)

Step by step

1. Use real chocolate, chopped.Around 30-40g per mug. It brings fat and cocoa solids that powder does not, which is what makes it rich rather than thin.
2. Heat the milk gently and do not boil it.Boiling milk changes its flavour and can catch on the base. Warm it until steaming, not bubbling.
3. Make a paste first for a smooth result.Melt the chocolate with a splash of the milk, whisk smooth, then add the rest gradually. It prevents lumps and gives a better texture.
4. Add a pinch of salt.It suppresses bitterness and amplifies the chocolate. A small pinch makes a noticeable difference and nobody tastes salt.
5. Add spice or vanilla for depth.Cinnamon, cardamom, a little chilli, vanilla, or a spoon of espresso. All make chocolate taste more of itself.
6. Use cocoa powder as well for intensity.A teaspoon alongside the chocolate deepens the flavour without adding more sweetness or fat.
7. Adjust the sweetness at the end.Depending on the chocolate. Dark chocolate may need a little sugar; milk chocolate usually needs none.
8. Apply the same approach to other hot drinks.Real ingredients, gentle heat, a pinch of salt and something aromatic improves hot toddies, spiced milk and warm fruit drinks equally.

Tips

• A hot chocolate made with a mix of dark and milk chocolate gives depth without being too bitter for most people.
• Whisking creates a light foam that makes a substantial difference to how it feels to drink. A milk frother works well.
• Leftover hot chocolate makes an excellent base for an iced version, or a chocolate sauce once cooled.

Common mistakes

• Using powder mixes exclusively — They are mostly sugar with a small amount of cocoa. Real chocolate melted into milk is a different and much better drink.
• Boiling the milk — It changes the flavour, forms a skin and can catch on the base. Steaming rather than bubbling is what you want.
• Adding all the milk at once to chocolate — It cools the chocolate and it does not dissolve smoothly. Make a paste with a splash first, then add the rest gradually.

Questions people ask