Hazelnut Vanilla Hot Chocolate

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3 vanilla beans

9 cups whole milk

2 ¾ cups heavy cream, divided

16 oz bittersweet chocolate, divided

½ cup Nutella

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup hazelnut liqueur (optional)

¼ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)

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Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Set the seeds aside and discard the pods.
In a large saucepan, warm the milk and ¾ cup of cream over medium heat until just simmering.

Finely chop 15 oz of chocolate. Place it in a large heatproof bowl along with Nutella, sugars, salt, and vanilla seeds.

Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate mixture and let sit for 1 minute.

Whisk until smooth and creamy, then stir in the hazelnut liqueur if using.

Whip the remaining cream and shave the leftover chocolate.

Serve the hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and toasted hazelnuts. Garnish with a cinnamon stick if desired.

For a non-alcoholic version, replace the liqueur with 2 teaspoons of hazelnut extract.
The texture thickens as it cools — reheat gently with a splash of milk if needed.
Perfect for make-ahead entertaining: store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Find it online: https://www.yumsplash.com/hazelnut-vanilla-hot-chocolate/