Hot Cocoa

I’m just gonna lay it out there…….I like powdered cocoa packets you buy at the store. They’re delicious. I like hot cocoa from restaurants too – I know it’s not homemade. That’s okay! It tastes good, so that’s what matters. However, I don’t always have the packets sitting around at home. AND at Christmas when it’s really cold, it’s nice to make a little treat. AND think about how impressed people will be when they know you made the cocoa from scratch. AND it really does taste better. The packets are just convenient. At night when I put Annie to bed, sometimes I don’t have the energy to move my little pinky finger, much less energy to make hot cocoa. This recipe is fast though, so you can make it even if you’re in a state of delirium.

We need cocoa powder (DUH), sugar, vanilla, marshmallows, powdered milk, and water. I always tell people at Coupon Workshops that they should keep powdered milk in the pantry. Why? Because if you run out of milk, you can make your own. It’s a milky miracle! Something just occurred to me. Wonder if you can use breast milk in a pinch? I do have some in the freezer. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Do not worry, I promise not to try it on you……just Barry. Oh, and I keep powdered buttermilk on hand too.

Grab a small saucepan and put your sugar and cocoa powder in there. We’re going to add a bit of water to the mix and whisk it to get the lumps out.  Oh, and let’s have a hand for Barry! He took the photos while I made the cocoa. I know why he was hanging around. I’m not stupid.

Let the mixture come to a boil and then turn down the heat a bit. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. You can whisk it occasionally to make sure it’s not doing weird things on the bottom. I live in constant fear of food sticking to pans. I’m sure there’s some phobia name for that.

After the 5 minutes are up, you are going to add the powdered milk and water. This was where Barry came in handy. He’s nice to have around…..he’s really good at moving furniture and hanging pictures. Whisk it well so that the milk will dissolve in the water. Keep the heat on low and let it warm up. It needs to be hot enough to melt the marshmallows.

Now, add vanilla. It won’t be complete without vanilla. I know Barry’s Aunt Judy is reading this and thinking, “I can leave the vanilla out.” No, don’t do it. It will be the mistake of the century.  Oh, and see how it is frothy? That’s because I handed Barry the whisk and he went to town with it.

Grab two mugs and divide the cocoa between them. I was so proud of myself! I didn’t spill a bit…..that’s saying a lot for me because I’m usually pretty messy in the kitchen. If I had spilled it, I probably would have licked it up from the cabinet. We shouldn’t let it go to waste.

Time to add the marshmallows! Sure, you could leave them out……but why? They really make a nice addition. Don’t do it, Aunt Judy! They’ll get nice and melty down in your mug. I put more marshmallows in mine than in Barry’s. He noticed.

That’s it! See how easy it was? And it’s all stuff that you should keep on hand…..in case of a blizzard, you’d need hot cocoa…..and you might run out of milk. Be prepared! Be ready! Be aggressive! Be mine!