Orange Infused Hot Chocolate

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that require minimal effort but packs a punch in the taste department so I definitely got some warm fuzzies after discovering this orange infused hot chocolate's recipe.

It's decadent, really rich and very chocolatey. On a scale of 1 to 10, the chocolateyness is probably 8.5; I mean, it tastes like sweet melted dark chocolate.

That's major, you guys.

I found the recipe for this delightful hot beverage at Super Healthy Kids. I altered the original recipe by eliminating heavy cream and substituting chocolate chips for good quality dark chocolate. The Lindt chocolate pieces in this recipe don't come cheap but I'm looking forward to experimenting with other dark chocolate that's more affordable.

I was genuinely surprised at how thick and creamy this hot chocolate is because the heavy cream in the original recipe was meant to make the drink, well, thick and creamy. But as it turns out, using a good milk and the best chocolate is all you need.

Seriously, this recipe is SO EASY. Minimal ingredients and you're basically just throwing all of them in a melting pot. Not to mention how you get to witness yourself creating something amazing!

The recipe:

Ingredients (serves two, in small teacups like in the photos above)

• 2 cups of your favourite Milk
• Your favourite Dark chocolate (optional: If you're not a fan of bitter dark chocolate, have milk chocolate at hand for mixing)
• 1 slice of your favourite Orange
• Sugar
• Salt
• Marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat milk in a small pot over medium heat. When milk is simmering nicely, add four pieces of chocolate. Stir them all around until melted. 

Note: My drink tasted very, very chocolatey and was quite thick, so use only one piece per one cup of milk if you're not a fan of strong dark chocolate taste. Another option is to mix dark chocolate with milk chocolate to balance out the bitterness.

Extra note: I used Lindt dark chocolate with 70% cocoa here. The very first time I tried out the recipe, I used Lindt dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt, so I didn't have to add any salt in.

2. Put orange slice in the mix; I like navel orange and mine happened to be the brightest orange evah!

Leave it be for 5 minutes or so. Stir once in a while. You might find your milk getting darker and darker, which is nice, isn't it?

3. Add a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. 

If you think it's weird to add salt, do this: ignore that thought and add the salt anyway. It will totally elevate the taste, seriously. Feel free to add more or less and adjust taste to your liking. Stir and stir and stir.

4. There isn't actually a step 4 because your hot chocolate was all done in step 3! All that's left to do is to pour it into two cups now and add marshmallows if your heart desires them (of course your heart does).

Do give this recipe a go! Let me know how it turns out if you do in the comment section. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.