Sunday, November 28, 2010

Hot Cocoa

Cold weather has arrived in the Midwest, and with it comes snow, colorful lights, holiday fun, family gatherings and one of the best things ever, HOT COCOA!  There is nothing better after playing in the cold then bundling up with loved ones and a hot cup of hot cocoa.  Pretty much every culture has a hot chocolate type of drink. The Netherlands have chocolademelk made with bitter bars of chocolate which are not as sweet as the American counterpart. The Italians have cioccolata densa, thickened with cornstarch making it a warm thin version of chocolate pudding.  The Aztecs started drinking it 2,000 years ago believing it was a gift from the gods, and it's hard not to agree. Every time I drink it I have a pleasant, blissful feeling that brings me back to childhood.  Chocolate in any form is a holy experience.  Here in the US we make primarily hot cocoa, but in most other countries hot chocolate is the drink of choice.  The difference being that hot cocoa refers to the powder mix which has most of the cocoa butter removed, and hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate which has the cocoa butter.  Pretty much all forms of the drink have the same basic ingredients: chocolate, sugar and cream.  The store bought powder verity of hot cocoa has powder milk in it so you are able to make it with hot water, but personally I prefer the richness and creaminess of whole milk.  I still use a powder mix, but I make it myself.  The store bought stuff can't hold a candle to homemade, that goes with out saying.  For my powder mix I like to use a bitter dark chocolate and I always use a Dutch process chocolate.  Dutch processed chocolate has a much better texture, darker color and a little bit milder cocoa flavor.  This year I made a big container of powder mix, which should last about a week,  but all I have to do is heat up some milk in the microwave or on the stove top, mix in the powder and I'm ready to guzzle!  What's nice about hot cocoa is you can customize it as much as you want.  Add some Cream-DE-Menthe, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla or even a little chili powder to spice things up.  Personally I like a little vanilla and some mini marshmallows.   I suggest making a big container so you can enjoy it all season long.  So this recipe will be for the purpose of making a great big container.

10 oz. Dark Dutch cocoa powder ( about 1 & 1/4 c)
30 oz. White granulated sugar (about 3 & 3/4 c)
1 tbsp Kosher sea salt
Sift all together and store in a air tight container.
To make one cup.
Microwave about one minute for every cup.
Stove top pour a little more then one cup in a small sauce pan heat on a low temperature till milk is steaming.  Stir often and make sure milk doesn't get too hot or you could end up with a pot of sour scolded milk, not tasty at all.
Pour about 1 heaping tablespoon into the milk, mix well, pour in to your favorite holiday mug and smile as you sip.
When you heat milk on the stove top you have opportunity to make hot chocolate as opposed to hot cocoa.  This takes a little more work for about the same outcome as the powder.  The powder is a lot more versatile, you can add some to your morning coffee or sprinkle it over baked goods or even make enough to pour in to jars and give out as Christmas gifts.  If you want to try a stove top version here is a recipe.

For one cup.
1 c Milk
2 tbsp Grated Dutch melting chocolate
1 & 1/2 teaspoons White sugar
Heat all ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat on low till steaming.  Stir constantly!  Milk and chocolate can both scold so you must pay attention to the pot.  This recipe calls for less sugar because of the cocoa butter.

Hot cocoa is one of those things that makes cold weather worth having.  Hot cocoa creates memories. Everyone can remember a time in their childhood when hot cocoa melted away the frost of sledding and building snow men.  Hopefully my daughter will remember playing out in the snow as a child and warming up on the sofa with her family and a delicious cup of her daddy's hot cocoa.  Enjoy this recipe, share it with friends and family. Everyone deserves to feel the warmth and the love of the season.

3 comments:

  1. Oh yum! Hot cocoa is one of my favorite things about cold weather!! I'm excited to try this recipe at some point. Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Now thats some pretty special hot chocolate



    p.s.I miss you:)

    - Julianna

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