Rainy Day Cocoa Mix: Friday’s Project #6

I love good, rich hot cocoa and have been on a mission to find the perfect home brew for years. I think I’ve now come close. On a rainy day like today (especially at the end of a long work week) I love nothing more than curling up on the couch with a book and cup of steamy chocolate.

This recipe is one I adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe on Good Eats . I like it a bit darker and with a touch more cayenne than the original recipe (the cayenne is still hardly detectable—never fear).

I used bulk ingredients to make the cocoa mix. If you take your own containers to the store, have customer service record the weights before you fill them. When you have what you need, hand the cashier your note so he or she can adjust the weight of the product. No waste and MUCH more affordable ingredients. A full recipe of mix cost me about $2.00.

1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup, plus one Tbp cocoa powder (I used Dutch-process)
1 ½ cups powdered milk
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well, ensuring there are no lumps.
2. Store in a clean, dry canning jar.
3. Use 1/3 cup of mix to a mug of hot water or milk.
4. Add a cardstock tag and a bit of ribbon to give as a gift (or to spruce up your own pantry).

Enjoy!