Spiced And Spiked Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 2 star anise
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon 
• ½ cup rum
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1 cup fresh cream
• ½ cup cocoa powder + for dusting
• 4 cups full fat milk 
• ¼ cup castor sugar
• Marshmallow for garnish

Method

1. Heat fresh cream in a non-stick pan, add dark chocolate and cook, stirring, till chocolate melts completely. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Add rum and mix well. Transfer the mixture into a jar.
2. Take cocoa powder in a bowl, add ½ cup milk and whisk till the mixture is smooth. Add another ½ cup milk and whisk well. 
3. Heat remaining milk in a deep non-stick pan, add castor sugar and mix till sugar dissolves.
4. Add star anise, cloves and cinnamon, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add cocoa powder mixture, mix and cook on a medium heat till mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.
5. Strain the mixture into another jar and froth the mixture with an electric frothing machine. 
6. Pour the chocolate-rum mixture equally into 4 serving glasses, top it up with the hot chocolate milk. Dust some cocoa powder on top and garnish with marshmallows and serve immediately.