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I loooove hot cocoa, and having given up coffee recently (oh, how I miss you, Starbucks!), hot cocoa may just help me make it through the long, cold, hard winter of Minnesota that is rapidly approaching (but not today - it's going to be 70*!).

There is a great book by Fred Thompson, Hot Chocolate: 50 cups of Heavenly Comfort, that has some excellent recipes in it. I borrowed it from the public library and was quite pleased.

Glenn Beck, the radio show guy and host of a show on CNN, used to talk about a recipe that was pretty much a couple chocolate bars melted down and mixed with cream. I don't know how good it would be but it was pretty funny when he would talk about it.

I miss Starbuck's Chantico chocolate shots. Does anybody know a recipe for a similar drink?

I just had a nice white hot chocolate from cooking light that is basically 1/2 c of white chocolate chips in 3 c of milk that's been brought to simmer with a stick of cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg. There was also some vanilla maybe 1/2 teaspoon. Anyway it was a nice alternative for those of us with cocoa as a primary am beverage.

I like the land o'lakes individual packets that your just mix with milk or water (I perfer milk) The packets are big enough to get 2 - 8oz cups of hot cocoa out of it. And because they are indivdually wrapped and about 40cents a piece you can pick and choose and try new flavors. My favorite is chocoalte rasperberry.

I usually melt chocolate (usually Callebaut couverture) in hot milk. (heck, we're trying to get our kids to GAIN weight) Needless to say, it is whole milk.

When I make it for my husband and myself, I may make a lighter version, sometimes adding spices (cinnamon and cayenne).

If I don't have good chocolate in the house, I'll make it would cocoa powder -- la Maison du Chocolat has the best (very dark and rich), but Callebaut is good too. I first combine the cocoa in a measuring cup with the sugar, and beat in a small amount of hot milk, until the cocoa is smooth. Then I beat in more to thin it out, and return it to the stovetop to heat and "marry" properly. When done, you can add a touch of Mexican vanilla (which should not be cooked).

My husband loves Mexican hot chocolate (the Ibarra bars), but I find them too sweet.

Here are some good recipes for the melted-chocolate variety of hot chocolate. We make both the Parisian and Belgian versions at home (by David Lebovitz):

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/569195

My new favorite is Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate.

i love ibarra, a brand of chocolate from mexico. it's spicy and cinnamony and not too sweet. but last night, visiting my international grocery, i found them to be out of ibarra. so i bought a block of luker bitter chocolate. it was delicious, but different from ibarra in that it is just straight bitter melting chocolate.

i really dislike the treacly sweet hot chocolate offerings, both at coffee bars and the grocery, and think ibarra and luker are superb, and highly recommend them.

I love really rich hot chocolate. I make mine by melting a few pieces of a chocolate bar and some cocoa (usually Hershey's Special Dark for both) in heavy cream with a stick of cinamon. Once it's melted I add whole milk, let the milk heat through and add vanilla, sugar and a pinch of salt to taste. It's like drinking a chocoalte bar. Very sinful, but I only make it once or twice a year.

More frequently I make chocolate sauce for ice cream by melting part of a chocolate bar with a splash of cream. Leftovers sometimes end up in my coffee the next morning. I guess that kind of counts as hot chocolate...

We use the Hershey's cocoa recipe on the tin as a base and then add a few extras like cinnamon, chili powder, and vanilla extract (to taste). It's the best when you use whole milk, too.

Four ounces of chopped chocolate for every cup of whole milk. Dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of sugar. Whisk over medium high heat, then simmer low and covered for 4 minutes. Easy and simple.

Williams and Sonomas Hot Chocolate. It includes real chocolate shavings that you mix with milk. I have to buy enough every year (they only sell it during the holidays) to hold my husband over for the entire year. He loves it!
Tabitha @ http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

I find the recipe on ghirardelli's sweet ground chocolate and cocoa to be really good. basically just cocoa and milk, but it tastes great--rich without being overwhelmingly sweet. you can buy it in the baking goods section.

what I am really looking for is a good instant cocoa, sometimes I don't want the richness of the milk. anyone have good mix suggestions?

Chuao's "Spicy Maya" hot chocolate is my favorite, ever. http://www.chuaochocolatier.com/store/spicy-maya-hot-chocolate.htm

I like this one a lot: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink/views/Vanilla-Hot-Chocolate-Mix-233203

It works great for gifts. We also brought the mix with us on vacation, and it was a huge hit.

This past weekend's Cooking Loft on FN had a great looking hot chocolate recipe (w/ rum!!!!). I haven't tried it, but I will soon. The recipe is here...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/hot-chocolate-recipe/index.html

Tabitha: I worked at Williams-Sonoma and with the clearance and discount... mand I bought A LOT of hot chocolate!

It is VERYVERY good. I also like abuelita brand too...

Stephen's Hot Chocolate is fantastic and comes in a variety of flavors (our faves are hazelnut and amaretto)

http://www.indulgentfoods.com/

Ghirardelli's hot chocolate powder (all of the flavors are great) and whole milk.

I love Ghirardelli's Ground Sweet Chocolate. Makes incredible brownies, too!

For those of us who are vegan or just lactose intolerant, the best hot chocolate is a round of mexican hot chocolate like Ibarra, melted into almond milk. Tastes so much better than soy.

Lake Champlain Chocolates in VT makes several really nice cocoa mixes - organic and fair trade versions too. I really like the Mocha and spicy Aztec versions, and the "Old World Drinking Chocolate" which is curls of real chocolate. (This also makes a terrific garnish for desserts or fancy coffee drinks.)

Stephen's Gourmet, is my favorite, and a local brand here (made in Farmington, Utah), and as we all know, local is a big plus. I love their peppermint cocoa. When you add a touch of heavy cream, it really hits the spot on Christmas Eve.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I'm off to buy some chocolate...

I think the Godiva Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa mix in cans at Barnes and Noble is the best. I have given it as gifts at Christmastime. It is the richest I have ever had because I make it with equal parts half and half and whole milk.