This blog is rated C for catastrophic
I understand that that what I’m about to share here is frightening and truly shocking, but please, bear with me….and have hope for me and with me of a safe and satisfactory resolution.
I am out of hot cocoa mix. ME! Javadawn. There is nothing but crumbs in the container. Shocking, I know, but I knew I had to confess it to you all.
Sadly, this is not the end of this catastrophe. Jeff is on shut down. This means he is not working at his job. No work means no pay. No pay means no grocery extras. Therefore, my normal, wonderful, time tested recipe – which calls for something I only buy for cocoa mix (Quik) is out of the realm of possible.
Perhaps you’re wondering why this is cause for concern…perhaps you’ve heard me rave that Molls’ recipe (1 c milk, to 2 T honey, 2 T cocoa powder and 1 T coconut oil…and sometimes a drop of orange essential oil) is simply sublime and can not be beaten. You would be correct, I do indeed make such claims. However, the cows are on Christmas vacation (they’re freshening them for the next few weeks) and we can’t get sufficient milk to make said hot cocoa. So, instant must suffice. (The things we sacrifice in life are simply beyond my ken) 😉
SO, would someone please take compassion on me and suggest an alternative instant cocoa recipe that doesn’t require Quik?? Let me tell you what I have in my pantry, so you don’t tempt me with something decadent that I can’t afford/don’t have and thereby wound me further. 😉 Plenty of delicious Dutch process cocoa, sucanat, cane juice, vanilla (sorry, no powder, only liquid. Uh, I guess that’s rawther moot, then, eh?) 🙄 some powdered sugar, a large container of creamer, powdered milk, salt, uh….what else might I need? OH, powdered coconut milk….. Um….that’s all I can think that we might use.
Please, won’t someone come to my rescue???? I thank you in advance. My family thanks you. (We will have 3 of us PMSing any day now. Instant cocoa is NEEDED!!!!!)
Java Dawn 
Hi Dawn. Here’s something I found on the internet.
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
From Linda Larsen,
Your Guide to Busy Cooks.
Make up a big batch of hot chocolate mix recipe and you’ll be set for winter warming and gift giving!
INGREDIENTS:
* 10-2/3 cups instant nonfat powdered milk
* 6 oz. jar powdered nondairy creamer
* 4 cups powdered sugar
* 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 bag mini marshmallows
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir gently to mix well. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. This makes 17 cups of mix.
For one serving, stir 3 tablespoons Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix into 1 cup of hot water until dissolved.
Hope this helps!
Violet, I saw this one too – I just didn’t know if anyone had a recipe that was tried and true. 🙂 Is this one you’ve tested? I have another one that called for cayenne I thought about trying, too. I’ll give my report when we’ve made up our minds. 🙂
I think the powdered coconut milk sounds awesome for hot chocolate…. Put that in the place of powdered milk…. Is your cayenne one the Alton Brown one?? He’s usually spot on with recipes. We like watching him. Us chefs even get something out of it. 😉 Here is the one that Tyler Florence made on the food network….
Hot Cocoa
3/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Take the bittersweet chocolate and roughly chop it up to give a chunky but consistent size. Mix well with a wooden spoon and then store in a dry airtight container. To make the hot chocolate, simply add 1 cup of water per 1/2 cup of hot cocoa mix. Heat in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring with a whisk. Heat until hot, but do not boil, about 6 to 7 minutes.
It has to be good with that extra chocolate in it, doncha think?? 😉
If it’s that bad, you best hop in the car! 😉
Sorry, Dawn, I haven’t tested the recipe. We have chocolate allergies at our house (bummer!) so try not to keep temptation too available. I did use a recipe very similar to this (as I recall from my single days) that was good. I’m not the chocolate connoisseur that you are though. I’m not sure I would be adventurous enough to try cayenne, however, so you’d better not go by my recommendation!
Our MOPS group made hot cocoa mixes this year. The recipe is — 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips, 1/4 cup nondair creamer, mini-marshmallows (optional)
I’m sure you could tweak the recipe with the ingredients you have. I also saw some recipes online that involved powdered sugar. Really, if there is sugar, milk, and cocoa together, can it be bad???
md, GOOD point. 😀 Now why didn’t I think in those terms???
Here’s the way the day played out yesterday. Repeat after me…. entropy. Now read the definition of this word: A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system OR The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
Now, wouldn’t you say that battling the kids from sitting around reading all day (if this isn’t inert uniformity, I don’t what would be!), because it was gray and overcast and we were all stuck inside (a closed system) would qualify for entropy? I thought so too. 😉
After those lovely sounding recipes which I’ll have to try out, mine is going to be so dull you probably won’t bother with it. So please bear in mind that it is the only recipe I knew until recently and that it stood me in good stead at university bringing plenty of young men to drink it with me of an evening (and alcohol drinking is legal from 18 here so my cocoa was competing with a lot!). Per mug of cocoa mix:
2 teaspoons sugar (more for a really sweet tooth)
1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder
and a little milk to mix to a paste.
Add hot water, stirring well, and enjoy!
Kate, BLESS you! I haven’t had time to mix up a whole batch – this will tide me through the next few days with book writing. The Lord bless you, my dear!!!!!! (A woman tied to her computer, by her family and friends, having PMS, craving chocolate is an ugly thing. You, my dear, just offered me a wonderful solution. Thank you!!)
Um…vanilla extract? Vanilla powder? I only heard of the latter today. Where do you buy these things? Just the store for the extract, or some better source?
Thank you! Susan
Susan, I’m afraid I’m a snob (when finances allow it) when it comes to vanilla. I really, really, really like Nielsen-Massey vanilla. Theirs is the only vanilla powder I’ve tried. It is delish!!!!! I checked their website and found that Stow Mills, Inc in New Oxford, PA (603-256-3000) carries the vanilla powder – not sure where that is in conjunction to you…. there are other places online to order, but thought if this was close, you might prefer to pick it up, rather than pay shipping???
(I’m in the process of making my own vanilla, she said with as much bravado as she could muster 😉 I’ll have to let you know how it turns out.)