If you consider hot choc to be essential for a cosy Christmas/winter...

[shippa]

What brand do you use? I always like the idea of hot chocolate but they always leave me a bit meh. On here they seem to be the epitome of cosines so I might give them one last try if I can get a recommendation.

So far I haven't really got on with Cadbury's, options or green & blacks. Maybe I'm making them wrong 🤷‍♀️

Twinings is amazing.

Normally £4 but £2.50 in Tesco at the mo.

For a quick hot chocolate I like whittards, otherwise I make my own with melted chocolate and cream.

With instant hot choc the powder to liquid ratio is the most important part.

I use Green & Blacks, always make it with hot milk - no water and sometimes add hazelnut syrup.

I like the Malteasers one too, the maltiness keeps it from being too sickly sweet.

Those of you who make it with actual chocolate, how much do you need?

DH makes it for us and he melts galaxy chocolate with milk in a saucepan and it's lovely. Have with marshmallows for those who like marshmallows.

@BiddyPop you must be in Ireland or maybe Cork? O'Conaills is Cork chocolate if I remember correctly? I think Butlers do white hot chocolate now as well? I have been known to skip the milk and eat the actual Butlers chocolate cup itself! Divine!

I can't really drink hot chocolate at the moment unfortunately, but teen dd would definitely say Hot Chocolat from her Velvetiser.

Twinnings is my favourite too.

@shippa ask Santa for a few packets, you won't look back

I like Asda own cheap one, and making a milky one with cocoa powder and sugar. Always cream and marshmallows on top. Ibe also been known to like the aero mint bubbles one previously, and orange flavoured ones too.

However, I freaking love Costa hot chocolates, and always get one when I do my Christmas shopping. Depending on my mood and the syrups available will also depend on what I get.

Pips Real Hot Chocolate Coins (online or markets if you live in Wales)

Twinings is amazing 💕

Holly Cork origins so frequently back down but based in the not so real capital these days!! 🤣 (Perhaps a slight in-joke for the Irish).

Must investigate Butlers white choc....

Clipper is lovely

The whittards white sticky toffee is amazing.

Ive bought dh the velvetiser for Christmas and am so excited to try it!

Either the Maltesers or Galaxy ones with a generous measure of Baileys!

I also love the Oreo one in the Tassimo machine but there's never quite enough and I need to put 2 in one mug.

Ringtons if you can get your hands on some!

Twinnings

Cadbury's drinking chocolate (not the instant one) is the one my kids prefer, although I find it too sweet. It's still good in an emergency if you add a pinch of salt. Weird but true.

Normally I make this one, it's delicious and ever so rich. I use 80% dark chocolate because I bought a massive bag of fancy stuff from Amazon last year (might even have been Black Friday) for baking and am still working my way through it, but I'm sure it will be great with a lower cocoa mass chocolate too.

Hotel chocolat does tubs of hot chocolate that are amazing. It is essentially just grated chocolate and there is a variety of flavours. When melted in hot milk its like drinking liquid chocolate. Albeit this is quite pricey.

Twinings Swiss Chocolate drink is more expensive than cadburys but is better quality and you get a big tub of it so better value for money. Its quite smooth to drink as well unlike vrands like cadburys highlights and galaxy.

Lidl do chocolate on a stick for hot chocolate, I use two of them melted in hot milk. Has hot chocolate become a bit of an event now, as opposed to just a normal hot drink? I keep seeing it described as something special.

I live down the road to where Charbonnel et Walker is made and really like the normal and salted caramel chocolate spoons they make that you melt into milk. Love them but I don't normally like hot choc at all

Another vote for Clipper

I like the flavoured ones from Whittards even though they are very sweet... with some squirty cream on top.

Some of the flavoured ones are incredibly sweet from whittards, the dark choc with peanut butter isn't too sweet but it has to be drunk immediately otherwise it gets a skin and it gets bits settled at the bottom. It's one of my favs though.