The weather has suddenly changed to very cool and damp. The leaves have not yet turned, but it feels as if fall is here. The temperature drop has the kids clamoring for hot chocolate. So, this week we made the first hot chocolate of the season.We make two versions of hot chocolate in this house. If we have an abundance of milk on hand we will make the real stuff on the stove top using the following recipe quadrupled:
Homemade Hot Cocoa
2 tsp cocoa
2 scant tsp sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Put the cocoa, sugar and boiling water into a saucepan. Boil 1 minute, add milk and heat. Do not boil. Add vanilla. Makes 2 cups.
Often there isn't an abundance of milk, and it is convenient to have a mix on hand to whip up a few cups for the kids quickly on a chilly day. For this reason we also make our own hot chocolate mix. The recipe we use is adapted from the one found at the Hillbilly Housewife site.
Hot Chocolate Mix
4 cups of dry milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of powdered coffee creamer
3/4 cup of cocoa powder
one package of instant vanilla or chocolate pudding
Put all the ingredients in the food processor and mix until blended. To serve put 1/3 cup of mix into a mug and stir in hot water.
To store our mix we simply use a recycled creamer container. If you have a fun loving husband like mine, perhaps your container can also be labeled using a movie quote.
Either way I make it, we all enjoy warming up with a steaming cup of yummy chocolate! Hope the weather is warmer where you are!
Top Photo Credit: Happy Sleepy
MMmmmm! Now you've done it! I want some hot chocolate! Can't wait to try the mix recipe.
ReplyDeleteit has been a LONG time since i have made that cocoa mix! it brings back good memories that i think need to be revived!
ReplyDeleteIs the one you make with the pudding really good?
ReplyDeleteI have a SIL who loves Hot Cocoa, thought I could make some for Christmas gifts. Also is it good with the vanilla?
Yes it is quite delish! I've made it for Christmas gifts before. I've also put some instant coffee in it to make mocha or French vanilla pudding in it is quite good too!
ReplyDeleteThat mix recipe sounds really good, I've never heard of putting instant pudding into hot chocolate mix. I definatly have to try that!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I found this blog!
Kristie,
ReplyDeleteThe pudding helps the mix to dissolve so you don't have a lot of mix left at the bottom of the cup. it works wonderfully!
Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to try these out. I wonder if I used flavored coffee creamer if it would still be good?!
ReplyDeleteYummy!!!
ReplyDeleteI think flavored creamer would be excellent in this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this Stephanie! I made the one with pudding last year and my son and daughter in law were disappointed when they had to go back to store bought. I told them I would try to find the recipe and make it again. They will be happy, happy!
ReplyDeleteOh, and also when I make it for gifts I put some Ghiradelli chocolate chips in the mix, with chocolate pudding so it is Triple Chocolate, good!
ReplyDeleteI just made the homemade hot cocoa...not impressed. I would suggest doubling the cocoa and sugar and reducing the water to 1/2 cup. I definitly had to "doctor" it up once it was done, being that it was very thin and watery tasting with not much chocolate flavor. my boyfriend, who hates sweet things, even stated it was not very good and he was used to "thicker, richer, and sweeter" hot chocolate.
ReplyDeleteJust tried this. I am with poster above. Good base reciepe but I doubled the cocoa & sugar. Halved the h20. Plus I threw in a handful of milk choclate morsels. Yummm. I am firmly in the sweet and rich hot choclate camp.
ReplyDeleteI just came across this blog its so cold out where I live and all I wanted was hot chocolate I cant wait to try it!!!
ReplyDeleteI ran out of our store bought HC mix so I thought I would look for a recipe to make from scratch. I wasnt paying attention to the measurements and put in 2 TBSP of cocoa powder, and 2 TSP of sugar. When I relized this I justy adding the remaining sugar to equal 2 TBSP. Left the rest as is. When it was done I tasted it and found it to be still a bit bitter and not creamy enough for my liking, so I added half a TBSP of sugar and three spoonfuls of powdered creamer (not an actual measuing spoon, but a small spoon) When it was done I thought it was pretty good. I will make this again, the little tweaking is no big deal as everyones taste is different. Thanks for the recipe! I look forward to experimenting with different flavours added to the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI tried the Homemade Cocoa as written and it didn't have enough flavor, it was too weak. I think that 2 TBSP each of cocoa powder and sugar would be better. I just kept adding a little of both until I thought it tasted ok.
ReplyDeleteThanks!