It's a gorgeous fall day out. Beautiful and chilly. The calls for hot cocoa have started and Whole paycheck stopped carrying our favorite hot cocoa mix. Probably best, as store bought is expensive and it was hard enough to find a mix with okay ingredients that didn't require heating up milk. I like a cocoa mix that is just-add-hot-water. I can make cocoa the other way, it's relatively easy, but I'm lazy and don't like to wash a pan too. So I wanted to come up with my own version that did not use white or powdered sugar. This whirls up quickly in a food processor and yields a nice fluffy mix for a rich cup of cocoa. Vanilla bean powder is expensive, so it's okay to omit it or add a splash of vanilla to your mug if you don't already have or know where to get some. I used a pouch of powdered goat milk since it was conveniently sized for my batch and the only available powdered whole milk. (I can't stand powdered nonfat dairy.) It does not have any off flavor to it and I will happily use it again.
8 servings
4 oz dry whole milk powder (Enough to make 12 cups of milk/3 quarts)
¾ cup light brown muscovado sugar
½ cup dark unsweetened cocoa (or a mix of dark and Dutched)
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp vanilla bean powder (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blitz until well combined. It should appear light and fluffy with no large crystals apparent. Store in an airtight glass jar for up to two months.
To make a cup of cocoa, add boiling water to a cup with about 4-5 heaping tablespoonfuls per mug. A standard coffee mug holds 8-9 oz while a larger mug holds closer to 10-12 oz. Add some marshmallows or whipped cream if desired. My kids each have their own little 6oz mug and they love them, I use 3 heaping spoonfuls for those.
Am I too late for a question or two? How does the tapioca starch contribute to the mix? Is the muscovado sugar dry crystals or moist like grocery store brown sugar? Thank you; I have greatly enjoyed the creativity of your web site.
ReplyDeleteYou're certainly not too late for questions! ☺ The tapioca starch helps provide a richer and more velvety mouth feel - to make it more like a commercial mix. It is an optional ingredient in that respect. And the muscovado is beautifully moist like a fresh brown sugar, but with loads more flavor because it still contains all the minerals having never been separated from the sugar. I really love Billington's golden brown muscovado for excellent flavor and a very fine crystal structure. It's available in many grocery stores and on amazon as well. I think it's cheaper to buy a case of it on amazon, which is what I do.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and I'm so glad you like what you have seen!