I looked repeately at the recipe to see what I did wrong. The only change I made was 1% milk instead of skim. It came out like lightly chocolate flavored water. In an attempt to salvage - I doubled the cocoa powder and sugar and it was slightly better. Then I added a couple sprinkles salt, again a little better but not worthwhile. Then I added about 1/4 heavy cream. An improvement but not good. Then ended up adding 4 squares of Lindt Dark Chili chocolate bar. With the changes, I would give it a 2 or 3. Definitely won't make this again. I recommend trying a smaller version before you go with the whole recipe. The grainy texture from the spices was not pleasant either. I'll keep looking.

This hot chocolate is amazing! At first i was skeptical, because chili powder isnt something you normally pair with chocolate, but it gives it a strangely attractive flavor. I substituted 2c milk with vanilla "Silk" (soymilk) and it still turned out delicious. be sure to stir very well before drinking, and keep a spoon handy while drinking, because everything settles. otherwise, this is one of the very best mugs of chocolate i've ever had.

Oooh, this is just divine! My teenage son nagged me constantly to make this, so I devised a short cut: Mix all the dry ingredients together. To make one cup, use a very slightly rounded tablespoonful of the dry mix and add a little boiling water, stirring to make a thin paste. Then add the hot milk, a drop of vanilla, top with marshmallows and enjoy! I also add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor.

If it is a bit too rich, you can cut it down with a small amount of water.