Hot chocolate is something that everyone in my house loves. Thanks to allergies, our hot chocolate recipe is something that has to be adjustable. It can be made with plant based or regular milk and it comes out great both ways. We use Country Crock's dairy free whipping cream to make our whipped cream and honey as the sweetener. If you give it a try, let me know.
Tori's Hot Chocolate
Serves two
2 cups of milk (regular or dairy free)
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of dark chocolate powder
1/8 teaspoons of vanilla 
Raise heat until medium and whisk until warmed to preferred heat.
Turn off heat and pour into two mugs. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.
From chapter 8 in From the Ashes
“His Lordship is in the library,” Gates said as he took her wrap. “I will have hot chocolate sent in; you look tuckered out.”
Tori smiled and headed to the library.
Her father was dozing on the sofa with a blanket tucked around him, but woke with a start when she closed the door behind herself. “Come and sit, you look done in.”
“Gates said the same thing,” she said, sitting down next to him and pulling off her heeled slippers. “My feet surely are.”
“Your sister is quite put out with you,” Father said, tossing a bit of the blanket over her lap.
“More likely she is upset with herself. Princess Lenathaina caught her gossiping,” Tori explained, setting herself as comfortably as possible. She couldn’t wait to get out of her corset.
“Gossiping about who?” he asked darkly.
She shrugged. “Lenathaina, Richard, and Owen Eddening.”
Her father muttered something that she chose not to interpret under his breath. “I shall deal with that later,” he said. “Why did she take you with her? Was Maceon put out that she had brought you along?”
“She overheard me trying to discuss the play with Jaina and liked something I said, so she took me to argue with the playwright.” Tori blushed slightly. She had done just that, holding her own and even making the playwright agree with her in the end. “It seems there is a bit of a society that meets at different houses to discuss and dissect plays. High Lord Maceon didn’t seem to mind. It was a large gathering. Many of the actors and actresses were there too.”
“Yes, The Players’ Club,” her father said. “While I do enjoy a good play, I don’t feel the need to take apart each act. I can see where you would enjoy that sort of thing, though. I had forgotten that the Princess was a member.”
“She has invited me to a private reading from one of her favorite authors tomorrow afternoon,” Tori said, trying to hide how much she wished to go.
Her father sighed. “Just be home in time to get ready for that damned ball your mother is making me go to.”
She kissed his cheek. “Yes, Papa.”
“Get up to bed before you pass clear out. I will tell your mother to make sure no one wakes you till luncheon.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I am sure Gates will make sure that something is sent up to you to eat while you get ready for bed. I swear that man dotes on you.”
Tori grinned and grabbed her slippers before heading up to her room.
In her chambers, she found a pot of hot chocolate and a plate of sweet biscuits waiting for her, and ate the nutty treats and sipped her chocolate as her maid stripped her, not bothering to hide her yawns.