12/11/2006 - Oh, Cocoa!

Given the fact that the weather has been more than a little nippy - no, actually, for tropic-dwellers like me, it's been freezing for the past several days! - certain measures have to be taken to ward off the chill.  Seriously, I can find no better way to do that than to sip a steaming hot cup of cocoa!

Now, while instant hot choc mixes are all well and good (Ghirardelli's is superb and Swiss Miss is a good ol' fashioned fave), nothing beats the satisfaction of making hot cocoa from scratch on your stovetop.  The recipe I'm sharing with you today is almost too ridiculously simple, but the resulting beverage is incredibly good.

Hot Cocoa

• 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups milk

In a saucepan, stir together cocoa, sugar, and water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add milk and heat just till the mixture simmers.  Remove from heat and whisk vigorously for fifteen seconds.  Makes 3 servings.

And for all you javaholics out there, I didn't forget all about you because I even have a nifty recipe for homemade caffe mocha.

Caffe Mocha

• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
• 1 heaping teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 3 teaspoons non-dairy coffee creamer or non-fat powdered milk

In a mug, combine cocoa, creamer or powdered milk, brown sugar, and water.  Stir to achieve a thinnish syrup.  Pour in the coffee and stir until well combined.  Serves one.

Incidentally, I used Peotraco unsweetened cocoa powder.  Despite its modest price, it's the richest local unsweetened cocoa I've tried thus far and I'm not kidding when I say it dares to rival Ghirardelli and Vochelle as far as chocolatiness is concerned.