hot chocolate

i love chocolate. if i could, i would have it at any moment of the day. due to my love to chocolate i became also very picky about which chocolate i eat. for example , you will never see me eating Hershey's even if it was the last piece of chocolate on earth. not that i dont like cheap chocolate, but the main stream chocolate in the US doesnt taste the same as it does in europe, even the same bar by the same company. i assume it is because the milk and the ingredients taste differently, if anyone knows the reason please let me know. one of my favorite chocolate treats is the hot chocolate. i think i tried almost any hot chocolate in nyc, and can tell you, there are some very good ones, and some very bad ones. for now, i would say that the best hot chocolate i have had in ny was at MarieBelle. working 2 blocks from the store, there is nothing better than having a hot chocolate shot at 3pm, when you are about to fall asleep on your desk, and all you need is a hit of a sugar and cocoa. there are 2 ways to make hot chocolate; the american way and the european way. the american way is with milk, and the european way is with water. personally i prefer the milk, but i promise you they are both delicious. with that said, i made it today, and again it was just too good.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup hot chocolate powder
1 cup milk
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PREPARATION
combine hot chocolate and milk in heavy medium saucepan. cook on medium heat until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly.

note: when the hot chocolate is ready, i usually add few leaves of mint or spearmint for an extra touch.

*easy
*makes two cups