Starbucks Hot Chocolate

"Starbucks makes its hot chocolate with mocha syrup that's used for a variety of other drinks in the store. A barista combines mocha syrup with a couple squirts of vanilla syrup and heated milk, and he then finishes off the drink with a sweet pile of whipped cream. We can duplicate the process by first creating our own chocolate syrup in the microwave with cocoa -- Hershey or Nestle brand each works great. After adding milk to our heated chocolate mixture, we pop it back into the microwave again until piping hot. A little vanilla extract added at the end gives the drink the vanilla hints of the original. I found that a 2-cup glass measuring cup with a spout works best to heat the drink in the microwave. Then, when it's ready, you can easily pour the hot chocolate into a 16-ounce coffee mug and get on with the sipping...."