Plain hot cocoa has always seemed a little boring and one-dimensional to us, in all honesty. But add a dash of cinnamon or a peppermint stick, and we’ll drink it down to the last sugary sip. Here are our favorite ways to jazz up a basic cup of cocoa. What are yours?
Whether you’re making cocoa from a powdered mix or melting chocolate to make authentic hot chocolate, these mix-ins make a delicious addition:
1. Almond or Soy Milk - These milks have a sweet, nutty flavor that lends itself very well to a mug of cocoa. We use it in place of regular cow's milk.
2. Cinnamon Stick - Whole cinnamon seems to give cocoa better flavor than using the powdered spice.
3. Chili Powder and Cayenne - Cocoa with a kick! Add a cinnamon stick for a version of Mexican hot chocolate.
4. Infused Tea - We learned this trick of steeping tea in cocoa a few years back and go back to it often. Our favorite teas to use are chai, earl grey, and a vanilla-caramel herbal blend.
5. Peppermint Stick - Crushing the peppermint sticks makes them melt faster, but we really like just letting a whole stick slowly melt into our cup.
6. Orange Zest or Extract - Orange and chocolate make an irresistible duo.
7. Baileys, Amaretto, or Other Liquors - Let’s not forget our favorite grown-up version of hot cocoa!
What are your favorite ways to make cocoa?
Related: Hot and Milky: Malted Cocoa Mix from Alton Brown
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My favorite:
2 T good quality cocoa
2 T sugar
dash of vanilla
8 oz milk
dash of salt
Heat the milk. Put the sugar, milk and cocoa into something you can shake. Shake like hell.
Pour into a mug and add the vanilla and dash fo salt.
It's the salt that really makes this.
(Source: off the side of the Hershey's can, though I recommend upgrading way up from Hershey's)
One thing I discovered recently when trying to use up a carton of store-bought eggnog that I didn't love: use one part eggnog and one part milk in the hot cocoa base for a richer, creamier cocoa, with a bit of spiciness.
mm, it's hot chocolate season already! we always keep (homemade) hot cocoa mix in the pantry : http://thekosherfoodies.com/drinks/hot-chocolate-mix/
Hot Chocolate seems to be a little to rich for me so if I want something slightly richer, I do a dark red tea with some milk and rock sugar syrup. it's pretty much the Taiwanese bubble tea without the tapioca and hot. Pretty tasty and it doesn't have that over creamy aftertaste.
use half coconut milk in place of reg. milk. Simmer a cinnamon stick, a cardamom pod and clove in milk for a while, then add all the other stuff.
I am addicted to hot chocolate. Crsht - coconut milk sounds great! I love crushed candy canes in whipped cream.
I like to make raspberry hot chocolate by steeping a raspberry tea bag in the milk.
Frangelico or Sambuca, depending on mood. Works great even if you run out of hot cocoa! :)
I'm all about the coconut milk when I'm feeling really decedent. I'll definitely have to try crasht's method!
If you like it with almond or soy milk, you should try hemp milk. It's so rich and creamy.
I love a good snuggler!
I shot of peppermint schnapps added to my hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and a candy cane for garnish... yum!
I put in some dry malted milk powder and a little freeze-dried coffee - either high-tech or not.
I made hot chocolate with ginger. If I've got fresh ginger, I grate some directly into the pot (or mug, although I think that works slightly less well), and/or I add in some ground ginger. I like the slight spiciness. I have also heard that ginger aids digestion, and generally feel that my digestion could always use some additional aiding, so there's that, too.
I also really like to add cardamom to hot chocolate.
Add a bit of creme de menthe or peppermint schnapps, and then... TIM TAM SLAMS!!!! Best use of a Tim Tam ever. Bite off a tiny bit from opposite corners, put one bit off end in the hot chocolate, suck the drink through, and then eat the Tim Tam. It melts and it glorious.
(I think Pepperidge Farm still makes Tim Tams, otherwise they sell them at Cost Plus World Market as "Arnott's")
Baileys, definitely. And I've been using hot chocolate mix from Penzey's Spices--it's lovely.
Peppermint Schnapps. Mmmmmm. With or without one or two giant puffed marshmallows.
BE CAREFUL when shaking warm/hot liquids! They will expand and may explode when you agitate the contents. I know from experience ;0}
Peppermint tea and cocoa--all the peppermint taste without any more calories. It also works well when camping.