Recipe for Lavender Hot Chocolate

Looking for a way to spice up your hot chocolate? With just a little bit of work you can indulge in some lavender hot chocolate.

I feel like there are three levels of hot chocolate: the powdered stuff you mix with hot water; the powdered stuff you mix with hot milk; and then the super fancy kind where you melt and temper chocolate and combine it with milk and cream. Don’t worry, this is the middle category.

You can naturally flavor and spice up those powdered hot cocoas that you mix with hot milk by infusing the milk before you mix in the hot chocolate. This recipe uses lavender, but you can also try cinnamon, cardamom, roses, mint - let your imagination run wild!

Recipe

12 ounces milk
1 tablespoon lavender buds
2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix (the “add hot milk” kind)
whipped cream to taste

Stovetop directions: In a small saucepan, heat the milk until just below simmer. Remove from heat and add the lavender buds. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain the lavender (a tea strainer works well for this, but you can also use cheesecloth). Return the milk to the saucepan and heat to just below a simmer. Stir in your hot cocoa mix, pour into a mug, and add whipped cream.

Microwave directions: Pour the milk into a canning jar or other microwave safe container for 60-90 seconds. Get it hot but don’t let it boil. Stir in the lavender buds and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the lavender (a tea strainer works well, but you could also use cheesecloth). Return the milk to the microwave safe container, and microwave for an additional 30 seconds until hot. Stir in your hot cocoa mix, pour into a mug, and add whipped cream.

Enjoy!