To-Die-For Hot Chocolate

I worked at a lovely French cafe and have done my best to duplicate the fabulous hot chocolate there! Feel free to fool around and add more chocolate or milk as your tastebuds require! You can use the general recipe and add spices (cloves and cinnamon are great) as well as using other types of alcohol - Cointreau, vodka and whiskey are popular.

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup  50-55% dark chocolate (chunks or chocolate pieces)
• 3⁄4 cup  whole milk
• 1  teaspoon instant coffee or 1  teaspoon ground coffee (work well)
•  whipped cream, to taste
• 1 1⁄2 fluid ounces dark rum

Directions

1. Heat milk on the stove at the lowest level until small bubbles appear.
2. While the milk is heating, add approximately 1/8 cup of boiling water to the chocolate; stir so that the chocolate becomes thick like a fudge sauce.
3. Once the milk is hot enough, add the chocolate to the milk and stir constantly for 5-10 minutes until it changes from a lighter brown to a dark brown colour.
4. Remove from heat.
5. To serve, place one spoonful of instant coffee in the cup.
6. Add one shot of rum and stir to dissolve coffee granules.
7. Add the hot chocolate and top with whipped cream (homemade vanilla cream is best!) and chocolate shavings.