Few things offer such comfort during the cold Wintery months as a large mug of steaming and creamy hot chocolate. Once the evenings start to get long I always find myself drawn the kitchen to make up a quick mug of this warming chocolate delight (I tell myself it helps me sleep!) Making your own healthier hot chocolate is so simple. The hazelnut butter not only makes this a really rich and creamy hot chocolate but also makes the hot chocolate quite like molten Nutella. I love adding a cinnamon stick while it cooks to infuse it with a wonderfully warming hint of cinnamon. If you are a true cinnamon aficionado like me forget drinking it with a straw you have to drink it through the cinnamon stick! For a truly Wintery snack I love dunking my gingerbread men into my steaming mug of hot chocolate just don’t dunk them in for too long or there will be a few casualties like headless gingerbread men! The wonderful sweet taste and aromatic fragrance of cinnamon makes it one of my favorite spices. Cinnamon’s multiple health benefits have been well documented over the years. Research has shown that cinnamon aids blood sugar control. This effect is achieved by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties following meals. It also appears that cinnamon can aid those with type two diabetes by improving their cells response to insulin. In addition cinnamon may help cells to utilize glucose more effectively. Cinnamaldehyde one of the essential oils found in cinnamon bark helps to prevent harmful blood clotting that is experienced following inflammation hence making it beneficial for inflammatory conditions.