Tasty Tip 4

Cue WWE music with loud crashes and deep bass and a raging guitar, because today, folks, we go extreme.

Before I continue, let me give props to The End of Magic website, from which I stole the technique for creating the above chocolate image in Paint Shop Pro (click here to go there).

Today we talk about making real hot chocolate. Real hot chocolate means actual chunks of chocolate are used in making it. Whereas hot cocoa means the use of powdered cocoa (which I won't begrudge you if you're using a high quality cocoa). And the use of Swiss Miss means you need a serious attitude adjustment and castigation (any resemblance between Swiss Miss and real chocolate is purely coincidental).

Pre-heating requirements:

1 Mug (should hold just over 2.5 cups of liquid)

2 to 3 ounces of your favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Guittard chocolate chips, which you can buy in Safeway in the Denver area, which are by far my favorite chocolate chips. Click here to go to their website).

Slightly less than 2.5 cups of milk (for richer hot chocolate put some half-n-half in with the milk)

Preparation:

Step 1. Place 2 to 3 ounces of your favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips into the empty mug.

Use semi-sweet. I use 3 oz. of chocolate, but it's quite rich. So start with 2 and see if that's enough. If not, and if your milk is warm enough, just add in the other ounce and whisk it until it melts (shouldn't take long).

If you try this with milk chocolate, you'll just get a water-down chocolate flavor (and if that's what you want, then you might as well stick to Swiss Miss and water! Geez).

Step 2. Fill up the mug with milk.

This should be slightly less than 2.5 cups of milk because the chocolate takes up space in the mug. However, I usually first add half-n-half, maybe a quarter of the mug, then fill the rest of the way with milk.

Holiday note. During the holiday season, I add 1/4 mug of eggnog, then fill the rest of the way with milk.

Step 3. Heat on high in microwave until milk is to your required temperature.

For my microwave, that's 2 minutes and 45 seconds. BE CAREFUL, if you run the microwave for too long, as with any liquid, it'll boil over the top.

Step 4. CAREFULLY remove the mug from the microwave and then CAREFULLY, using a small whisk, whisk together that chocolate goodness.

You could use a spoon, but it really doesn't mix the chocolate well. Go buy a small whisk. Trust me. However, then put a spoon in the mug for later when some of the chocolate rises to the top and you need to give a quick stir.

Also, there ain't no crime in adding a few shakes of cinnamon (it's what I do. C'mon, you scared or something?). Or little marshmallows.

Step 5. ENJOY!!

P.S. Please drink responsibly. I cannot be held accountable for any weight gain to the user of this Tasty Tip.