by thelesleyshow

The Best Hot Cocoa Recipes

My Mom has a lot of good recipes up her sleeve, she also has some of the best hot cocoa recipes I have ever tasted.  When I was a kid my parents had a cabin in the mountains and when it would get really cold my mom would bust out with the best hot cocoa recipes, all made from scratch.  The best part about my mom’s hot cocoa recipes is that she has a twist added at the end and every time its different depending your mood.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup HERSHEY’s Cocoa
• 1/3 cup Hot Water
• 4 cups (1 quart) Milk
• 3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
• dash of Salt
• Miniature Marshmallows (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa and salt; stir in the water.
2. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk; heat to desired serving temperature.  Remove from heat; add vanilla.
3. Beat with whisk until foamy, top with marshmallows.

Best Hot Cocoa Recipe add-ons

Spiced Hot Cocoa: add 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg with vanilla.

Mint Hot Cocoa: Add 1/2 tsp mint extract or 3 tbsp of crushed up peppermint candy.

Citrus Hot Cocoa: add 1/2 tsp of orange extract or orange liqueur (adults only of course)

Swiss Hot Cocoa: add 2-1/2 tsp powered instant coffee with vanilla

Canadian Hot Cocoa: add 1/2 tsp of maple extract and vanilla

Hot Cocoa Au Lait: don’t use the marshmallows and add 2 tbsp of soft vanilla ice cream on top

Slim Hot Cocoa: don’t use the sugar, substitute milk with skim milk. Use a sugar substitute to sweeten.