Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate
16 oz milk
4 Tbsp Hot Chocolate Mix (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp of Bailey’s Mint Chocolate (optional)
Dulce de Leche (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)
Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded. Whisk in mix and Bailey’s (if using) until smooth. Serve with whipped cream and a drizzle of dulce de leche.
Yields: 2 servings
Hot Chocolate Mix
2 vanilla beans
4 cups granulated sugar
24 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Dutch process cocoa
Split and scrape vanilla beans and place in a large bowl or jar with the sugar. Work seeds into the sugar with your fingers. Bury the pods under the sugar. Cover tightly and let stand overnight (or up to months–vanilla sugar keeps forever) at room temperature.
In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and dark chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. Process in batches, if necessary (I started out with large bars so I first processed the chocolate using the grater attachment and then switched to the blade.)
Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend, making sure to combine well. Store mix airtight at room temperature for up to six months.
Yields: 76 2-Tbsp servings, or 12 3/4-cup servings (pictured)
Adapted from: Gourmet, 2005