Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate | Recipe

Hi Pixies, I know what you are probably thinking: "Jade it's nearly August, why in the world are you doing a post about Hot Chocolate?" You see whenever I'm down the beach there's nothing I love than to curl up with a good book in a comfy deck chair and drink hot chocolate to my heart's content, and I find that it also works as a amazing method to relax during all of these thunderstorms that we've been having these past couple of days, the smell and taste just make all my muscles unclench and my worries vanish into thin air.
This is actually a picture my Bother took in Starbucks last October, I'll swap it for a homemade version when my camera decides to play nice!
You'll need:

• A mug, any mug will do.
• Hot chocolate powder.
• Caramel sauce, I use Waitrose dipping sauce in caramel as I can never find its squirty bottled cousin.
• Sea salt or table salt, it doesn't really matter.
• Milk.
• A kettle (obviously!)
• A tea spoon.
• Whipped cream (optional)

01. First of all fill your kettle up with water and boil it. While It's simmering away take your chosen mug and measure out a tea spoon sized amount of caramel sauce, then pop it into the bottom of your mug, lining the base so that you will get as much flavor as possible. If you are like me and have a huge sweet tooth you can add more if you wish.
02. Next you need to get out your hot chocolate powder. Using the same tea spoon (it doesn't matter it all ends up tasting yummy before going into the sink) measure out 1-2 tea spoons of cocoa powder and add it into the mug on top of the caramel sauce, then proceed to pour the now boiled water into your mug and stir it all together of that the caramel and chocolate mix.
03. You then add the milk, how much depends on how much you usually have in your hot drinks, the amount doesn't have any effect on the drink, as long as It's in there somewhere. Then stir it all together again (bet it's smelling yummy now!)
04. Now take your chosen salt and sprinkle about a third (or less) of a tea spoon into your drink, again, stir it all together. This will give you a lovely salty taste that will go surprisingly well with the sweetness of the caramel.
05. Finally you can add some whipped cream on top and if you fancy it, add a tiny bit more caramel sauce on top of that to finish it all off! And there you have it, a delicious drink in just a few easy steps.