For most of us, when we hear the term ‘crock-pot,’ our minds arguably tend to visualize some sort of roast or stew, seeing as these sorts of dishes are what crock-pots are most often used to create. Crock-pots are fantastic options for individuals who yearn to cook a hearty, homemade meal but don’t necessarily have all of the time in the world to do so; you’re able to dump in all sorts of ingredients, leave the thing cooking on low all day long, then return home to a delicious and completed dinner.
While I’m not trying to suggest roasts and stews are the only things crock-pots are used for, I would suspect this is one of their more common uses. But, when I came across a recipe for Crock-Pot Hot Chocolate from thepioneerwoman.com, my mind catapulted into a realm of possibility because I had not yet considered how crock-pots can be used for sweet dishes just as much as they can be used for savoury. Check out the recipe.
“Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate bars, chopped
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. instant espresso or coffee
- 15 marshmallows, plus more for garnish
- 8 oz. Irish cream liqueur (such as Bailey’s), optional
- Shaved chocolate, for garnish
“Directions:
“1 Whisk together the sugar and cocoa powder in a 6-quart slow cooker. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to incorporate. Whisk in the heavy cream, chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, and instant espresso.
“2 Cover and cook on low heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is hot and well combined, about 2 hours. Add the marshmallows and cook until the marshmallows begin to melt into the hot chocolate, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Irish cream liqueur, if using.
“3 Set the slow cooker to warm. Ladle the hot chocolate into serving mugs, and top with more marshmallows and shaved chocolate, if you like,” the recipe states.
I don’t know about you, but this changes everything in the game of crock-pots.
Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash
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