Warm and Delicious Century Farmhouse Hot Cocoa

Don't you love to curl up with a mug of something warm and comforting at the end of the day or after a chilly time outdoors? Sometimes a cup of tea or coffee just won't do, and a sweeter, creamier treat is just the thing.

At this time of year it is also nice to be able to whip up a quick gift for a friend, and this homemade mix tastes so much better than a packaged cocoa mix. Stir up a batch or two, pop it into a pretty jar and tie that with a bow. Someone somewhere will thank you.

Century Farmhouse Hot Cocoa Mix

Stir up a cocoa mix that will make a really delicious cup of warm chocolate-y goodness this season. The mix works well with milk and with a non-dairy milk substitute such as flax, oat, or almond milk.

Here’s how:

For an 8 oz. jar of mix, whisk together 1/2 cup each of a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder and ultra-fine granulated sugar. The ultra-fine sugar dissolves quickly in the hot liquid - and I sometimes back off just a little on the sugar so that it isn’t so sweet. Then I shake in a little cinnamon (about 1/8 tsp.) and put a small piece of vanilla bean or a tiny bit of vanilla bean seeds in the mix. You can reuse the vanilla bean with your next batch!

Cover tightly.

Make the cocoa:

1. Place 2 Tblsp cocoa mix in a 12 oz. mug.

2. Warm 12 ounces (1 3/4 c.) milk or dairy substitute to scalding or 1-2 minutes in the microwave.

3. Pour about half the warmed milk over the cocoa mix. Allow to sit for about a minute and whisk carefully until smooth and add the rest of the warmed milk. Stir gently.

4. Top with a marshmallow or whipped cream if you wish.

Mmmmmmm. Giving this as a gift? Tie a pretty ribbon on the jar and add the recipe.

Love the pretty mug? I do too! The mug is made in England at T.G. Green Cornishware Pottery and you can learn more about them at this website: https://www.cornishware.co.uk/