Hot and Sweet! Hot Chocolate for True Chocolate Lovers

We all know that when making hot chocolate, ripping open a pouch is a quick fix. But surprisingly, preparing hot chocolate from scratch is not only incredibly indulgent, it is equally fast. We picked the best of the best, so grab your mugs and whip up one of these twists from a few of our favorite chefs.

As the wise spice purveyor and vanilla expert Aaron Isaacson, a.k.a. Mr. Recipe, once said, "Chocolate would be nothing if it weren't for vanilla." Jacques Torres, a.k.a. Mr. Chocolate, also abides by that rule in his recipe for Classic Hot Chocolate and his creamy variation on the classic, White Hot Chocolate.

Ask Aida how to make hot chocolate, and she'll steer you toward her grown-up Raspberry Hot Chocolate variation made with heavy cream and a touch of Chambord. The addition of the fruit liqueur will have you swear you're drinking a gooey, melted, raspberry-infused truffle.

If Elvis Presley were alive, he'd most certainly savor Todd English's dreamy iteration. Presley, known to have an affinity for banana and peanut butter sandwiches, often included bacon in his
treat! English opts to leave out the swine in his peanut butter-banana version. But he does recommend adding homemade marshmallows. Yes, please!

Great recipes begin with great ingredients. Of course at Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery, Chef Sébastien Rouxel
uses only the good stuff. His exquisite concoction includes chocolate from Guittard, one of San Francisco's oldest and
finest purveyors. But fine chocolate is not Rouxel's only weapon: His recipe incorporates toasted
coriander seeds. You've got to taste it to believe it.

Chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval taps his Latin-American roots for his traditional Mexican recipe sprinkled with chile and cinnamon. Sandoval notes the classic preparation is done inside a clay (or sometimes wood) pot called a jarra chocolatera that, because of its shape, results in a drink with a very foamy consistency. If you put in a little muscle, you can achieve the same frothy foam without the special jar.

We love Max Brenner, the quirky chocolate-only restaurant chain. Yes, that's right: The entire menu, from savory to sweet, is laced with chocolate. At the shop, hot chocolate is served in a "Hug Mug" specially designed for cupping and easy drinking. But you won't miss this specially crafted utensil when you make White Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Cream at home, since its thick and creamy taste is sheer sensory pleasure.