The Return of Hot Chocolate Season

I love the cold weather. I live in the south, so we only get that weather for about three months and it's not usually consistently cold throughout those months, but I'm still excited every year when it's cold enough to put on a jacket.

The thing I love most about cold weather is hot chocolate. I usually go the lazy route when I'm alone and use a generic mix, but when friends come over, I like to be a little fancier.

When I wanted to look up a new hot chocolate recipe this year, I went straight to Paula Deen. People in the south have a high tolerance for sugar, so only a southerner would know how to pack on the sweetness.

Her Work-a-Holic's Hot Chocolate recipe is just what the doctor ordered. Plenty of sweetness in small sizes, so you won't go into a sugar coma.

It's perfect for a girls' night in with your best friends, while you watch Love Actually.

Ingredients 

Vanilla Custard:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2   large egg yolks
1   vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Hot Chocolate:
7 ounces (2 chocolate bars) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup milk, boiled

Directions

Sprinkle the cornstarch over 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk well. 

In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat, bring the remaining 2 cups of the milk and the vanilla bean just to a simmer. Remove the bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the milk. 

Cook, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a full boil, about 3 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl. Serve warm. 

Add to the vanilla cream the chopped chocolate chunks and a boiled cup of milk. Mix until smooth. Any flavor can be added- raspberry, cinnamon, holiday ginger spice, marshmallows. The semi-sweet chocolate can be substituted with milk or white chocolate.