0 Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and salt in a medium pot. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the milk is steaming but not boiling.
1 Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl, and, using a ladle, add about 1 cup of the steaming milk. Let sit for about 1 minute before gently stirring to melt the chocolate completely. Stir another ladleful of milk into the bowl. (This helps the chocolate and milk emulsify.)
2 Reduce the heat to low and gently whisk in the melted chocolate-milk mixture. Stir until the chocolate is incorporated and the mixture is homogenous. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod.
3 Carefully ladle the hot chocolate into 4 mugs. Garnish with whipped cream and marshmallows, if using, or dust the tops with cocoa powder and enjoy!
