Bloomington Leader

If you’re at a loss for how to give a holiday twist to a hot drink, consider white hot chocolate.

This festive drink requires a little more prep than pouring Hershey’s syrup or Nestle’s Quik into a cup of frothy warm milk, but the extra 15 minutes of work pays off.

Here’s a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. 

The ingredient list is simple: 2 cups of milk, 1 and 1/2 cups of half-and-half, a three-quarter cup of white chocolate chips (with extras for topping), 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and mini marshmallows to top it all off. You’ll end up with four servings with that recipe, so adjust as necessary to meet your needs.

The salt might have you raising an eyebrow, but it enhances the flavor and richness of the drink. The combination of milk, half-and-half, and vanilla comes together for a smooth concoction. 

To make the drink, heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Fold in the white chocolate chips and continue cooking slowly until the chips melt. Then, stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour into mugs, add a spritz of whipped cream, and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top. 

Be prepared – if you serve this drink, it might spark a debate on whether white chocolate is really chocolate. Technically, it contains cocoa butter, which gives it the consistency chocolate is known for. It does not include chocolate solids, so the naysayers can score on that front. But, once they try this rich, cozy drink, you might convert them to considering that white chocolate is close enough to the real thing that the debate is moot.