Delightful homemade hot chocolate recipes abound for frigid winter days

This time of year, many people reach for their canisters of hot cocoa mix to make themselves a warm cup of holiday tradition.

But for the more adventurous, here are simple, yet delicious hot chocolate recipes that don’t take much longer than placing a powdered mix in the microwave.

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FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE

5-6 ounces chocolate (Marabou from Ikea and/or a few different kinds of Ghiradelli work well)

2 teaspoons hot chocolate powder mix (Stephens brand hot chocolate mix works great)

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 ½ cups milk

3 cups ice (to make it a little more rich, use frozen milk cubes)

Whipped cream (see recipe below or store-bought)

Chocolate shavings

Chop the 5-6 ounces chocolate into small pieces and melt in a double boiler or a small saucepan over med-low heat. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until blended.

Remove from heat, slowly add half a cup of the milk, and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, chocolate mixture and ice. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Pour into cup or mug and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ tablespoons light corn syrup

Combine the cream and vanilla and mix well. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, start whipping the cream on medium speed. Add the corn syrup slowly while beating. Whip until the cream holds soft peaks.

— Favorite Family Recipes blog at www.favfamilyrecipes.com

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DELICOUS LOW CALORIE HOT CHOCOLATE

Serves: 1

1 cup of low fat milk

2 teaspoons Dutch cocoa artificial sweetener to taste

1/8 teaspoon Mexican or real vanilla

Warm the milk in a sauce pan and whisk in the Dutch Cocoa. Add artificial sweetener a little at a time until it’s the sweetness you want and then add vanilla. Whisk to get a little froth and enjoy. No guilt!

— Cook’n blog

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WINTER NIGHT COCOA

Makes: 4-6 servings

2 cups whole milk

2 cups half-and-half

8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk vigorously. Reheat and serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

— "Worldwide Ward Christmas Cookbook"

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WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE