The Covered Dish - Hot Chocolate

A few weeks ago, I took on the project of finding/writing the best dry mix for homemade hot chocolate. You would think with a recipe with under 6 ingredients it wouldn’t take too long to focus in on what I was seeking, wrong! My wonderful mom, Betty, made a mix every winter particularly for my dad. It took years before I ever told her how I didn’t care for it. But, I finally did, I just drank decaf coffee late of an evening, when I was at their home. Still; I wanted to design one that had better flavor and kept all the artificial ingredients out of the recipe. Knowing that many of you are looking for kitchen gifts, for the holidays I felt you needed this recipe now, and not December 15.
Another reason for this recipe was to come up with something economical you could make from your kitchen. Also; it would allow the kids or grandchildren to get involved. Get busy watching some of these ingredients go on sale and stock up. Marshmallows, whipped cream, cinnamon, chocolate to shave, peppermint sticks or candy canes to name a few.
Everyone loves kitchen gifts! I like to do baskets with Wolferman’s English Muffins, jams, coffee, cocoa, teas and accoutrements. I go to second hand stores and pick up appropriate baskets, then come home and wash them, so they’re ready to fill.
Let’s chat about the ingredients a bit and then I’ll throw a few more ideas and good buys your way. Dry Milk: If you will roast the dry milk in the oven for about 20 minutes at 300 degrees, stirring once, you will transition the dry milk. What does this mean. You are taking the dry milk through the maillard reaction, much like toasting a piece of bread. It enhances the flavor and brings a bit of caramel flavor to the dish. Stir it one time while toasting in in the oven. I usually do mine on parchment or foil.
Cornstarch: It does what cornstarch does, it thickens the cocoa just a bit so it has better body. Chocolate: Be sure and use Dutch Chocolate it will be smoother and less bitter. If you don’t have any at home, prepare yourself, it was around $12. at my local Walmart last week. Salt: Simply offsets the sweet content in the beverage.
Powdered Sugar: Dissolves much nicer than granulated sugar. If a recipe calls for 2 cups granulated sugar you will need about 3 1⁄2 to 4 cups of powdered sugar. Malted Milk Powder: Enhances flavor and texture. Brings about a toasty nutty depth to the beverage.
On the recipe I have noted how much a full recipe makes and how much a quarter of the recipe makes. The part I hate to share is this: There is only about $1.00 difference in making your own homemade hot chocolate and buying the .77 cent hot chocolate on thev tea and coffee aisle. Not to be confused with the ones inside a box, these are the individual packages, chocolate supreme, chocolate caramel, chocolate mint and white chocolate for a few examples. So, there are ‘many’ reasons to make your own dry cocoa mix, and yet there are reasons to do the individual packets from the grocery store.
This week I received the “Sam’s” November flyer. Man, I find some great purchases in there. Now when I share the first one, please don’t think lesser of me. They have 6 Pillsbury pie crusts for 7.37. This is about the cost of 4 pie crusts. Pretty handy during the holidays for sweet pies or breakfast quiche! Another great buy was mayonnaise. I’m not a ‘big’ shopper at this store, but the November specials are worthy to check out. A tip on the Pillsbury pie crusts, put them in the freezer so they keep longer!
OK, let’s set the recipe and get er’ moving. Well; it’s Halloween, try not to get carried off into sugar land! Simply yours, The Covered Dish.

Hot Chocolate
(I highly recommend making 1⁄4 batch first to make sure the sweetness and cocoa levels are to your liking.)
2 1⁄2 cups powdered Milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup Dutch Chocolate
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar
3⁄4 cup Malted Vanilla Milk Powder
Yields approximately 102 tablespoon divided by 4 = approximately 25 servings
1⁄2 cup of product equals 8 tablespoons
4 tablespoons to 8 ounces hot water or milk
Toast powdered milk for 20 minutes at 300 degrees to take it into the maillard effect.
Dutch chocolate dissolves better for cocoa and flavor is better
Salt takes the edge off the sweet
Malted Milk has already been toasted in the process- Estimated cost of a full batch is around $18.00
A full recipe should yield 4 gift pkgs.
1⁄4 batch of mix
1⁄2 cup powdered milk plus 2 tablespoons
1⁄2 tablespoon cornstarch
1⁄4 cup Dutch chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons vanilla Malted Milk Powder
Yields approximately 6-7 servings per gift
Per batch this would be a smidge over 1 1⁄2 cups per gift
Cost roughly $4.50 per gift. Seven store bought at .77 each would run 5.39. (Based upon current Walmart price.)