BowTiedOctopod@BowTiedOctopod
It’s that time of year 🎄 🎅 🍫
Skip the "Swiss Miss" + water and make the Ultimate Hot Cocoa in just a few mins
Just one trick and people will be remembering you as the Cocoa Master
Recipe below!
Most Hot Cocoa is too sweet and has the texture of water relying on you to load on whipped cream and marshmallow just to enrich the "liquid"
That's never how Hot Cocoa was meant to served.
You just need (6) ingredients to make memorable Hot Cocoa for your friends & fam
INGREDIENTS
Milk: Whole, please
Salt: Yes, just a pinch will intensify all the cocoa flavors
Cocoa: Dutch Processed (Valrhona, Cacao Barry, Callebeaut are all solid).
Hot Water: Just a smidge, this is important (read on)
White Sugar: < most use
Vanilla: pure extract
NOW THE TRICK:
To get the most flavor out of the cocoa powder, we are going to bloom the cocoa with hot (near boiling) water
Most recipes have you dump everything in a pot & stir
By adding hot water first cocoa solids will bloom, making an intense Hot Cocoa
MEASUREMENTS
Makes (16) 1c servings
1 & 1/2 c sugar
1 & 1/4 c cocoa
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 c hot water
1 gallon whole milk
1 TB vanilla extract
(marshmallow, candy canes, whipped cream... all optional garnishes)
METHOD:
In a sauce pot whisk together your cocoa, sugar and salt.
Slowly stir in the hot (near boiling water). Heat mixture over med high until boiling, and cook for 2 mins. This blooms the cocoa.
Add your milk and heat the cocoa up until just above your desired serving temp
METHOD (cont)
Off heat, add the vanilla.
At this point you can keep warm in a slow cooker; adding some marshmallow if you want them to slow melt into the cocoa while people ladle their portions
This is great to scale up for Holiday parties. Or if you're just a huge hot cocoa fan