Best Homemade Hot Cocoa
We like to think that recipes from the 18th century are vintage. Think again! Many recipes were derived over thousands of years. There’s Meat Pie and Lamb Stew from ancient Mesopotamia, flatbread that dates way back to 5000 BC, noodles that have been around since 2500 BC in both ancient China and Rome, and so on. When it comes to beverages, beer drinkers have been enjoying beer for the last 13,000 years while us, wine aficionados, have been enjoying it since 6000 BC.
Another one that has been around for a very long time – about 3000 years ago -comes from the Mayans and it’s a chocolate drink. Unfortunately, the “modern version” used powder instead of the real deal. Nonetheless, it’s still a favorite during the winter months. In this episode. I’m showing you how to make the Best Homemade Hot Cocoa!
How can I be so cocky with this recipe? It’s because I’ve been making it for decades and what I’m sharing with you is foolproof!
It’s a very quick and easy beverage recipe to make. A nice warm cup of it makes us feel cozy especially when the weather is chilly outside! It’s what I called a great comfort drink! I enjoy this hot beverage by the fireplace with my feet up, reading a book. It’s totally an “ahhh” moment!
Dark chocolate is a great source of antioxidants, it reduces the risk of heart attack, curbs hunger, and it’s a great brain and mood booster. Another benefit that I recently discovered is cocoa powder helps to improve the skin’s hydration and also helps to protect it from UV rays.
The most important thing to get the Best Homemade Hot Cocoa is by warming up the milk which adds creaminess and richness to the beverage. There’s the microwave method and the stovetop. I’m sure you guess that I prefer the ol’ way because I can control things better. Go ahead and use the microwave but in my book, a nice hot cocoa should be made with “loooove” without rushing it. That’s the reason why my recipe is the Best Homemade Hot Cocoa out there – still cocky… oh well!
Back to the milk…
After whisking the dry ingredients, pouring in a small amount of boiling water and whisking constantly, here comes the milk. The success for a perfect “chocolat chaud” is to make sure the milk doesn’t boil. The rule is pretty simple; keep an eye on it! If it scorches, it will burn at the bottom of the pot and create a “yucky” film on the surface… extremely unpleasant consistency! As soon as you see bubbles around the saucepan – an indication that it’s about to get pretty, pretty hot -, whisk constantly for 2 minutes then remove from the heat – not as bad as you thought, right? For a vegetarian/vegan version, use almond milk.
Another ingredient I like to add is pure vanilla extract. It doesn’t need a lot but some. I go for 3/4 teaspoon but 1/2 teaspoon is fine too. I won’t go beyond that otherwise it might taste… well like vanilla and not really chocolatey.
You can also add a shot of Irish Cream, Kahlua, rum or even Tia Maria. When it comes to garnishes, there’s a long list to choose from; whipped cream, shaved dark chocolate, toffee bits, caramel sauce, mini marshmallows, candy canes or crushed peppermints, etc. If you’re truly a chocoholic, add some chocolate chips or chocolate sauce. There’s nothing stopping you from sprinkling on some chili or cayenne pepper, nutmeg or drop a cinnamon stick in your mug.
Making the Best Homemade Hot Cocoa is something you have to do especially during the winter months. Either at home or at your log cabin, this is a comfort beverage that everyone loves! It’s a great mid-afternoon sweet treat – I enjoy dunking my biscotti in it… it’s so yummy!
Cheers!
Here are more delicious beverage recipes for you to try…
– Spanish Coffee
– Red Velvet Boost
– Palm Springs Date Shake
– Homemade Holiday Eggnog
– Agua de Jamaica
– Indian Masala Chai
– Pumpkin Coffee Creamer
and for even more great alcohol-free, cocktail, and smoothie beverage recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beverages
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Best Homemade Hot Cocoa
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 4 cups milk Footnote
- 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract (substitute mint extract)
- 1 cup whipped cream, for garnish see Recipe
- 1/4 cup shaved chocolate, for garnish
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar, cocoa powder and salt; whisk until blended.
- Slowly pour in boiling water and whisk until nice and smooth. Set the heat on medium and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the milk and heat it up until hot – do not boil!
- As soon as bubbles are coming up, whisk constantly for 2 minutes before removing from the heat. Stir in pure vanilla extract.
- Divide the hot cocoa in mugs, top with whipped cream and garnish with shaved dark chocolate.
Notes
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