Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

I don’t usually put Peeps into hot chocolate and prefer to simply eat them on their own, but I was inspired by some of the holiday Peeps that I tried recently since the holiday flavors seemed like they might be especially well-suited to drinking with a good cup of hot chocolate. I used the very cute Gingerbread Peeps as inspiration and made a Gingerbread Hot Chocolate to put them in.

Sometimes, I make hot chocolate with just cocoa powder, sugar and milk – a simple and easy to make blend. Since this gingerbread hot chocolate has some spice to it, I decided to add a little richness to the drink by adding real chocolate to give it a little more body and creaminess. I add both white chocolate and dark chocolate (you can use milk chocolate, instead, if you prefer), since I like the flavor of both but wanted a little extra sweetness from the white chocolate to counter the strong molasses flavor. The result is a nice fusion of gingerbread and hot chocolate, a lighltly spiced drink that is perfect for the holidays.

You don’t need a gingerbread marshmallow to enjoy this drink (even though they are adorable!), and you’ll find that regular marshmallows or even whipped cream make nice finishes, too.

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
8-oz hot milk (any kind)
1-oz white chocolate, finely chopped
1-oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp molasses
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
marshmallows

Combine hot milk, chocolates, molasses and spices in a coffee mug and stir until ingredients are well-combined.
Adjust the sugar to your taste, if necessary.
Top off with marshmallows before serving.

Makes one 8-oz drink. Increase all amounts slightly for a larger cup size.