Amongst all the drinks which you might think of as a delicious and energising winter beverage, we definitely prefer hot chocolate. This delicious drink, enjoyed by children too, comes in its basic form as powdered cocoa or chocolate, to which you add milk and sugar, and is perfect to drink during the winter, especially on the coldest days. Hot chocolate may be served simply as described here or it could be made even more indulgent with the addition of whipped cream. Either way, there are many variations of the basic recipe, such as those that include coffee, coconut and caramel. Today we suggest the classic version, delicious and just perfect for pampering yourself and, possibly, soothing your mental stress! Learn how to make it with us, using the photo gallery, and let’s say goodbye to the packets of hot chocolate you buy at the supermarket!

Combine the cocoa, sugar and cornflour and stir well so that there are no lumps. Add a pinch of cinnamon, ground ginger and chilli. Heat the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes, and then add a dash to the dry mixture. Stir well with a whisk until you have a dark brown paste. Keep adding milk a bit at a time, stirring all the time to make sure there are no more lumps; finish adding all the milk in this way, stirring. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add a little coarsely ground almonds. Put on a low heat and stir constantly until it comes to the boil. Continue to stir and simmer for 10 minutes, by which time the cocoa and cornflour will be completely cooked. Serve, adding a little of the coarsely chopped almonds.