Chocolat L'Africain

This recipe comes from a French recipe blog and claims to duplicate the hot chocolate from a Paris tea room. It is SO RICH. Be ready for a chocolate high. As the Web site says, "It tastes like a melted chocolate bar, an extremely rich concoction."

*3/4 cup whole milk (I just used what I had)
*1/4 cup heavy cream
*1 tsp confectioner's sugar
*4 oz/125g bittersweet chocolate, 72% (you can use any brand), chopped
*whipped cream

1. Combine whole milk, heavy cream and confectioners'sugar and heat over medium to high heat until bubbles appear around edges.
2. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate
3. Stir until melted (you may need to return it to low heat).
4. Serve with whipped cream. Perfect for dipping crusty bread or croissants.

White Hot Chocolate

Feeling chilly? This hot chocolate is so creamy and yummy. It's a different twist on your everyday hot chocolate.

▪ 3 cups half-and-half cream, divided

▪ 2/3 cup vanilla baking chips

▪ 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

▪ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

▪ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

▪ Ground cinnamon, optional

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cream, vanilla chips, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Stir over low heat until chips are melted; discard cinnamon. Add remaining cream; stir until heated through. Remove from the heat; add extracts. Sprinkle each serving with ground cinnamon if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

Since I'm in "Nutella Land" and my husband bought me a huge bottle of Nutella for my birthday, I had to find interesting ways to eat it. I really liked this hot chocolate, and hope you do, too!

-3 Tbsp Nutella
-1 1/3 cups milk

1. Put Nutella and 1/3 cup milk in small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk until blended.
3. Add remaining milk, increase heat to med-high and whisk until hot and frothy.