Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

If there is one thing I love on a cold winter’s day, it’s a cup of hot cocoa. Add to that another one of my loves, red velvet cake, and you have one heck of a drink recipe. Now, if you’re not too familiar with the world of red velvet, it is a red colored chocolate cake that is topped with cream cheese frosting. Yes, it is as divine as it sounds. So, it isn’t a huge leap to incorporate the two most famous elements of the dessert into a piping hot cup of cocoa. All we have to do is add a bit of color and cheese!  Cue the red candy melts and homemade cream cheese sauce…

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups + 1 tablespoon of whole milk

1/2 cup of red candy melts

1/4 cup of natural high fat cocoa powder

1/2 cup of whipped cream cheese

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of whole milk in a stand mixer bowl. Mix until a smooth sauce is formed. Set aside.
2. Place the red candy melts, cocoa powder, and 2 cups of whole milk in a medium sized sauce pan. Stir continuously while heating over medium heat. Do this until a silky liquid is formed and steam is rising. Note: The red coloring will naturally rise to the top of the liquid once it’s poured into mugs, so don’t dismay if your stirring seems to have dissolved the color.
3. Pour the liquid into mugs and then drizzle the cream cheese sauce along the edge of the cup. Enjoy!

There you have it, my friends! Pretty, unique, and ridiculously delicious. Plus, it will make one killer Valentine’s Day drink for your sweetie’s sipping pleasure. Pair it with a chocolate fondue station and a bit of mood lighting and you will be golden. Enjoy!