It's cold out! It's hot chocolate time!

I've been making hot chocolate in the same way for as long as I can remember ie as soon as the penny dropped. Some things don't warrant a recipe, they're about preference and they're instinctive. I feel this way about a lot of classic food. I've never in my life looked at a recipe for Yorkshire Pudding, for example. I make them the way my Mum did, and she, the way her Mum did because that's the way we like them. I did however do a little hot chocolate research ahead of a demonstration I'm preparing for and to save you the horror and hassle of producing something that is either laced with sugar, glucose or (heaven forbid) drinking chocolate powder, I decided to share my original and unchanged recipe with you. It's SO easy...there's no weighing, measuring or faffing required and the entire thing takes 5 mins from start to finish.

Needless to say use the best dark (upwards of 65%) chocolate and 100% cocoa powder you can afford and say 'ta ta' right now if you're on a diet ; )

INGREDIENTS:
Full Fat Milk (1 mug per person)
100% Cocoa Powder (1 heaped teaspoon per person/per mug of milk)
Dark Chocolate (1 handful of broken chocolate pieces or buttons per person/per mug of milk)

METHOD:
Pour a roomy mug of milk in to a pan (bar a tiny bit) and turn up the heat.
Heap the cocoa powder into the leftover milk, mix well to create a paste and add to the milk in the pan.
As the milk and cocoa paste warms up a little throw in your chocolate pieces or buttons, very gently stirring all the while until all the pieces have melted.
As soon as the milk begins to boil, turn the heat down to its lowest setting and if you have a mini electric milk whisk give it a good blast for aeration and froth. If not, you can achieve a good aeration by pouring the hot liquid into a flask and shaking it like your life depends!
Pour and slurp

OPTION:

If you absolutely *must* have sugar, add to taste at the end

For an extra indulgent texture, use 1/3 single cream to 2/3 whole milk

If you really feel like going for it, dollop some whipped cream and grated chocolate on top.

TIP:

Make up extra mixture, leave until stone cold and whizz up in a blender with some crushed ice (if required) for the most indulgent chocolate milkshake you've ever tasted. I kid you not.