MILK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE HOT CHOCOLATE

Milk Chocolate and Orange Hot Chocolate image

Yield Makes 4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1/3 cup chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon (packed) dark brown sugar
4 1/2 cups milk
4 large oranges
9 ounces good-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Ghirardelli), chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Milk chocolate curls (optional)
Orange peel twists (optional)

Steps:

Whisk cream and brown sugar in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate whipped cream.
Pour milk into heavy large saucepan. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from 4 oranges. Add peel to milk (reserve oranges for another use). Bring milk mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 30 minutes.
Strain milk mixture into large bowl, pressing on solids to remove liquid. Return milk to same saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add chopped chocolate and cocoa powder; whisk until melted and smooth. Simmer 1 minute, whisking constantly. Ladle hot chocolate into 4 ceramic cups or mugs. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate curls and garnish with orange peel twists, if desired.