Treat your special someone to a grown-up mug of hot chocolate this Valentine’s Day with this recipe for Boozy Caramel French Hot Chocolate. You can easily adapt the recipe for the kids (or “non-boozies”) in your life by simply omitting the alcohol and replacing caramel syrup for an equally delicious experience! Boozy Caramel French Hot Chocolate is basically caramel-chocolate whipped cream that you stir into warmed milk. It is the perfect decadent treat to serve for special occasions. You are going to want to pin this recipe for future reference!
Boozy Caramel French Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 cup of caramel-flavored vodka
- 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
- marshmallows, heart stencil, and red sprinkles for garnish
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Melt the chocolate.
Place the chocolate, salt, sugar, and water in a sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes, continuing to stir. Chocolate burns easily, so don’t slack off on your stirring. Your efforts will be well rewarded! After 4 minutes, remove the pan from the stove and allow the mixture to completely cool. You can place the pan in the refrigerator to expedite the cooling process if you’d like.
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Whip the cream.
While the chocolate is cooling, whip 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Tip: Make sure your bowl is very clean. Any residual grease in a bowl will prevent whipping cream from becoming fluffy.
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Make the garnish.
Cut marshmallows in half. Place a heart stencil over the marshmallow and dip a clean kitchen paint brush in water. Fill in the stencil with a light coat of water and then place red sprinkles over your stencil. The water will moisten the marshmallow, allowing the sprinkles to stick. Carefully remove the stencil to reveal the heart.
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Add the boozy bit.
Once your chocolate mixture is thoroughly cooled, add 1/4 cup of caramel vodka to the chocolate. Stir until well combined and then fold the chocolate into the whipped cream.
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Add the milk.
To make the hot chocolate, heat milk over the stove or in the microwave. Add dollops of the boozy whipped cream mixture to your mug until filled halfway. Pour warmed milk over the whipped cream and stir until dissolved.
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Add the garnish.
Place your marshmallow halves on top of the hot chocolate and enjoy!
I like to place the leftover whipped cream in a pitcher with a large serving spoon along with a pot of warmed milk for those who want seconds. And trust me, this hot chocolate is so yummy, you will want seconds! You can also add more caramel vodka to your mug if you desire. Happy Valentine’s Day!
