Featured at my book signing hosted by Williams Sonoma on November 15, 2025. This recipe is garnished with The Original™ Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark. I am not an affiliate for this brand; I just genuinely love this product!

All those jokes you hear about Midwestern winters are true. In Chicago, we deal with a lot of snow and extreme cold from September (yes, it’s that early) through March (sigh, it’s actually more like April). And snow… so much snow (thanks, Lake Michigan). Growing up, I loved to ice skate. I would walk to our local park with my skates and spend hours with my friends on the ice trying to master that perfect spin. It was the perfect way to be outside, and it made winter so much more fun. Whenever we got too cold, we would walk back to one of our houses and whip up a nice cup of hot chocolate. It was the perfect thing to comfort us after hours in the cold—and it still is, of course. The only difference is we do things a little bit fancier now!

When I saw the movie Chocolat (much later), I flat out could not believe that anyone would (or could!) put ground chiles in hot chocolate. This is definitely one of those cases where you should try not to knock it till you’ve tried it. It’s so good. Finishing touches are totally up to you, but as I’ve said before: More is more. Add a splash of vanilla to elevate your cocoa from “hot drink” to “rich, warm elixir”—and of course, don’t forget the cinnamon. I like to top my cup with a heaping mound of freshly whipped cream and The Original™ Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark. You can also add marshmallows, chocolate shavings, cajeta, or dulce de leche if you like. If you want to sweeten things up even more, try a cookie (or two) alongside your mug, like my Alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich cookies) and my Amaretti cookies.

Whether you’re coming back from a day at the ice skating rink or curling up in front of the fireplace, grab a mug and get ready for chocolate—this spicy cocoa will warm you from the inside out.