HOT CHOCOLATE

• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Homemade Marshmallows (recipe follows)

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, chocolate, and cocoa powder. Cook, whisking, until chocolate melts and cocoa powder dissolves. Stir in vanilla and salt. Ladle into mugs and top with homemade marshmallows.

HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

Homemade marshmallows can be cut into any shape you like. Try using cookie cutters, dusted with powdered sugar, to cut holiday snowflakes, stars or even Christmas trees.

• 2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.

In a small heavy saucepan combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water. Place the pan over low heat, and stir until sugar the dissolves. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to keep sugar crystals from forming.

Clip on a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and raise the heat to high. Cook the syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 244°F (hard-ball stage). Immediately remove the pan from the heat.

With the electric mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour the syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase the speed to high and beat the mixture until thick and white and almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

Dust a 9x13-inch glass baking pan with powdered sugar. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan. Dust the top of the marshmallow with powdered sugar, wet your hands, and pat it to smooth. Dust with powdered sugar again and let the marshmallows stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out.

To cut the marshmallows, turn the marshmallow out onto a cutting board. Cut the marshmallows with a dry hot knife into squares or with cookie cutters to form the desired shapes. Dust with more powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.