Laura's Hot Cocoa Mix
by Leslie Sausage - leslie@frugalhomemaker.com
We love Hot Cocoa and have tried many recipes! Laura, my daughter, has "tweaked" this recipe to become one of our favorite homemade hot cocoa recipes. It's very easy to make at home or share as a gift in a jar for a friend!
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
1 dash of salt
miniature marshmallows, optional
Combine ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Yield 4 cups mix
To make Laura's Hot Cocoa Mix:
Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of mix to your favorite mug and fill with boiling water. Stir to blend. Add some marshmallows or cream.
Sometimes we like to add some miniature marshmallows to the mix and then fill a quart jar with the cocoa mix and miniature marshmallows combination. The marshmallows dry and get firm, but soften when hot water is added.
For gift giving, one year we used clean one-quart mayonnaise jars for the cocoa mix. On red paper, my son wrote the directions and added a cute poem. He cut it out with pinking shears and glued it onto the jar. We used regular canning lids and rings for the jars rather than the mayonnaise lids. Add a circle of holiday fabric, which has been trimmed with pinking shears and tie with some raffia or ribbon. You can also attach a peppermint stick or candy cane to top of the jar with the raffia or ribbon. This gift is always well received!
Gift Tag Ideas:
Wishing you a Warm and Wonderful Christmas!
Wishing you a Warm and Wonderful Holiday Season!
Snowman Soup
When the weather outside is frightful,
Snowman Soup can be delightful.
May it warm your spirit and your soul.
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!
When you feel a chill or burrrrrr,
Use the peppermint stick to stir.
Add hot water and sip it slow.
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.
Flavored Cocoa Variations
- Use flavored creamers such as Hazelnut, Irish Cream and French Vanilla and the others that are available.
- Some people like to add a package of
Raspberry or Cherry unsweetened dry beverage mix (like Kool-Aid) to the cocoa mix. I think it makes it a bit tart-you will need to add more sugar. You might try only part of an
envelope. - Add one teaspoon of cinnamon to the cocoa mix
- My Favorite Mocha -- fill your mug with hot coffee instead of water. Yum!
Try the Single Cup/Trial Version of this recipe to see if you like it:
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons non-dairy creamer
Try a sugar-free version by substituting artificial sweetener equal to 1 tablespoon of sugar in this recipe.
Note: Copyright 2003 by Leslie Sausage Leslie Sausage is a freelance writer, mom and author of 100 Gift Mixes -- Cocoa, Coffee, Tea and Cappuccino, an e-cookbook with variety of wonderful hot beverage mixes. For creative, practical and fun ideas for your home, visit Frugal Homemaker http://www.frugalhomemaker.com
Reviews of Laura's Hot Cocoa Mix:
1-5 of 35 reviews Next >>
Susan in GA Jan 11, 2008
Would make this again.
I made this for gifts for Christmas and it was well received! I added 3 finely crushed candy canes (in food processor) to 4 cups of the mix, it was just the right amount of mint for me! Mixed 4 heaping teaspoonfuls to one mug of hot milk, added mini marshmallows and yum yum! I also sifted each ingredient twice to make a fine mix. Thanks so much Leslie and Laura!
A cookie baker Jan 1, 2008
Would make this again.
I use STEVia--a natural product as compared to'artificial' sweetners. I did not care for it by itself, so have used it in cakes, cookies, and cocoa mixes at: in place of 1 cup of sugar I put in 1/4 C sugar and 1 TBSP Stevia.--Stevia is a bit expensive, but goes a looong way.
Merry Dec 21, 2007
Would make this again.
I love this recipe! It is very hard to find a good recipe for Hot Cocoa mix:0)~
Erin Smith in South Carolina Dec 19, 2007
Would make this again.
Yummy! Great teacher presents! Betteryet, it is delicious!
Michelle in Illinois Dec 12, 2007
Would make this again.
Wonderful! I was looking for a good recipe to make mugs with for my office. I altered it just a little by adding a 1/2 cup of nestle's into it and about 2 more tablespoons of cocoa powder in it to make it a bit richer. Overall, this was the best I tested for my project.
