Making Homemade Hot Cocoa

      Not too many things are more comforting in cold weather than a steaming hot cup of cocoa.  Instead of today's instant cocoa or hot chocolate in the package, try some made fresh, hot from the stove cocoa.  For your drinking pleasure, here are three cocoa recipes to keep you warm and toasty.

 

                                                      Plain Hot Cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

8 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of water

6 cups milk

     Stir together cocoa powder, sugar and salt in large, heavy saucepan.  Add water, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick.  Turn heat to low.  Add milk slowly and heat to just under boiling.  Just before you are ready to serve, beat cocoa with a rotary  beater until it froths up.  Serve with fresh whipped cream and top with a cherry.

This recipe makes 8 6 ounce servings or 6 8 ounce servings.

 

                                                             Minted Cocoa

8 Tablespoons of cocoa

1/4 cup fresh crushed mint

1 1/2 cups boiling water

2/3 cup sugar

5 cups scalded milk

1/2 teaspoon of your favorite extract

     Mix cocoa and mint together in medium glass bowl.  Pour boiling water over all.  Let stand until it cools off.  In the meantime, in large, heavy saucepan, mix sugar and scalded milk.  Place over low-medium heat.  Stirring constantly, heat until sugar is dissolved.  Add cocoa-mint mixture.  Heat to just below boiling.  Strain to remove crushed mint, add extract.  Serve with fresh whipped cream topped with mint leaf for garnish.

This recipe will serve 6-8 people

 

Mexican Hot Cocoa

4 egg whites

1 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups cold milk

3 1/4 quarts scalded milk

     Make a thin paste with egg whites, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar and cold milk.   Place scaled milk in large, heavy saucepan over low heat.  When heated to just below boiling, remove from heat and add cocoa paste slowly with a rotary beater.  Serve when frothy, while hot.  Top with fresh whipped cream and a cinnamon stick stirrer.

This recipe will serve 10-14 people.