Hot Chocolate for a Crowd

Dear friends,

I made a huge pot of hot chocolate this morning for the family.  It's been really chilly here in Orlando: so cold that I wore double layers (still no coat, though) when I went walking for an hour with my friend Tonya.  We're not much of coffee or tea drinkers here, so hot chocolate really hit the spot. I'm not sure if this is any cheaper than buying the pre-mixed packets that we usually use; I guess it depends on how much you pay for the cocoa powder.  (The Aldi discount grocery chain has it for less than name brands.)  I adapted a recipe that I found on the web for less sugar and less fat.   If you're making cocoa for a whole crowd, this might be a good one to try.  If you want to make a dry master mix to keep in the cupboard or for a gift-in-a-jar, you might try the one from Family Fun magazine instead.

Without further ado, here's mine:

Hot Chocolate for a Crowd
(serves 10-12 depending on mug size)

• 5 cups boiling water
• 5 cups milk (I used skim and some made from powdered milk)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 TBS vanilla (I used artificially flavored)
• mini-marshmallows (optional topping when served)

Mix the ingredients in a large pot and continue heating until it is the right temperature for drinking.  Make sure it doesn't scorch. 

Blessings,
Virginia