Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream Melting Hearts
Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream Melting Hearts is the perfect end to a romantic meal. All you need is a heart-shaped cookie cutter & a few ingredients!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 387kcal
Ingredients
For the whipped cream hearts:
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- optional: 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or your favorite liqueur
For the hot chocolate:
- 10 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with 2 layers of parchment paper, letting each layer hang over 2 sides of the pan (this will make it easy to lift out the frozen whipped cream).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, sugar, and Grand Marnier (if using), until the cream reaches a soft peak. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream into the loaf pan, taking care to even out the top. If the parchment paper starts to fold over, dab a small amount of whipped cream between the paper and sides of the pan to help hold it in place. Freeze until solid. (Since this will take a few hours, I recommend freezing overnight if you have time. Cover the pan in plastic wrap to prevent odors from seeping in).
- Once the whipped cream has frozen, remove the loaf pan from the freezer. Use the parchment paper to gently lift the cream onto a cutting board (if there’s resistance, allow it to thaw for 1-2 minutes first).
- Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter (use one that works with the size of your mugs), press firmly into the cream and lift straight up, then gently tap the cookie cutter onto a clean cutting board to release the heart. Do this several times (the yield will depend on the size of the cookie cutter; you can definitely get 4-6 hearts even with a larger cutter). Place the cutting board with the frozen hearts back in the freezer while preparing the hot chocolate.
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a medium-sized bowl, preferably one with a pouring spout. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla over medium-high heat. Once the milk reaches a simmer, ladle some into the chocolate and stir with a spatula to melt. Continue adding hot milk and stirring until the hot chocolate is smooth.
- Pour the hot chocolate into 2 mugs and top each with a whipped cream heart.
Notes
You can use any hot chocolate recipe with the whipped cream hearts. I kept it very simple since those take a bit of effort! Or you can enjoy this hot chocolate on its own, with regular whipped cream, or marshmallows. You can also reduce the calorie content by using lowfat/nonfat milk in the hot chocolate (but that won't be as tasty).
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 710mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 850IU | Calcium: 287mg | Iron: 4.5mg