All three of us have a fondness for hot cocoa, but when the weather is cold for several days on end, we can quickly sip our way through our entire stash of store-bought mix.  I don’t spring for the mixes very often, though, since coming across this recipe for hot chocolate a  few years ago. As convenient as ready-made mixes are, they can’t easily be used in other recipes, and compared with the cost of made-from-scratch cocoa, mixes without unpronounceable ingredients aren’t a bargain.  All the ingredients for this recipe have a regular place in my kitchen, so whenever someone dear to me begins dropping hints about how nice some cocoa might be, I can whip this up in minutes.

Hot Chocolate
Serves 4

1/3 cup plain cocoa powder
1/2 – 3/4 cup granulated sugar (to taste)
pinch of salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half and half*

Optional:
Instant coffee to taste

Optional for Serving:
Cinnamon sticks for stirring and flavoring
Crushed peppermint candies
Whipped cream (recipe follows)

• Combine cocoa, sugar, and salt (and coffee, if using) in a saucepan.
• Stir in boiling water and simmer approximately two minutes. Be careful not to scorch the mixture.
• Stir in milk and heat through (still stirring) until not boiling but quite warm.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• Divide evenly among four mugs and add half and half to cool.

*I don’t always use half and half – in fact, I can’t remember the last time I splashed half and half into our cocoa – milk works just fine as a substitute.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

• Beat cream with an electric mixer until almost stiff (this process can be hastened by using a chilled bowl and beaters).
• Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
• Do not over-beat or cream will clump.

I admit that spooning whipped cream out of a bowl to top a mug of hot cocoa isn’t as fun as aiming a can of Redi-Whip into your mouth while standing at the refrigerator with the door open, but as with the cocoa, the basic ingredients can be used for other things. It’s difficult to un-whip the pressurized contents of a canister of whipped cream when it’s time to make pudding or pastry cream. Plus, the process of turning liquid cream into whipped cream never fails to amaze young children.

Enjoy!