San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
This homemade gift spreads warmth
Alton Brown’s DIY Hot Cocoa Mix
We know social distancing means missing out on many of the things that make the winter bearable. But that’s no excuse to not share a steaming cup of hot cocoa with friends or family.
This week I have a suggestion on how to do that in a safe and responsible way.
With a couple weeks remaining before Christmas, now’s the perfect time to whip up a batch of homemade hot cocoa mix, put a bow on it and mail that off to your loved ones. Once those bundles of sweet joy arrive, schedule a Zoom call and catch up while mixing and sipping away.
If you’ve never made a hot cocoa mix before, there isn’t much to it in its most basic form. It’s essentially powdered milk, sugar and cocoa with the slightest pinch of salt. If you like spice, add a bit of cayenne, ancho or other chile and a dash of ground cinnamon for a flavor closer to Mexican-style hot chocolate.
A simple step will punch that up into a more complex cuppa, and it’s worth the effort if you’re considering sending cocoa mix as a gift.
Noted food authority Alton Brown — you’ve seen him on the show “Good Eats” and countless other TV appearances — recommends toasting the powdered milk before creating your cocoa blend. Giving those crumbles a few minutes in a hot oven coaxes a malty caramel flavor out of the milk for a more dynamic sip.
Once your mixture is ready and packed into festive gift containers, you can up the ante by packaging it with a fun mug — this is totally the time for a cheesy cup featuring a photo of the Alamo if you’re shipping it to folks who won’t be able to visit home this year — and some marshmallows and peppermint sticks.
Because the mix already contains evaporated milk, all that’s needed to prepare a cup of cocoa is hot water. But you and your gift recipients don’t have to stop there.
A splash of whiskey or amaretto in the mug will turn your Zoom call into a holiday happy hour. If you really want to get crazy, consider trying another adult twist on cocoa that’s become popular in recent years — red wine hot chocolate — by mixing two parts cocoa to one part red wine.
We know it’s not the same as cozying up by a fireplace with your favorite person, but it’s the next best thing. And this year, that’s a gift in its own right.
Nothing warms the spirits during the holiday season like a steaming cup of hot cocoa. This mix makes a perfect gift to share with a loved one. Respected food authority Alton Brown suggests toasting the milk powder to bring out flavors of caramel and toffee, but that step is optional.
2 1⁄2 cups nonfat dry milk powder 2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fine salt
Pinch ground cayenne pepper,
optional, or more to taste
Hot water, for serving
Instructions: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Spread the milk powder in a thin, even layer on the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and crumbly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Odds are good the milk powder will be stuck together in lumps, and if that’s the case, simply pulse it in a food processor a few times.
Transfer the toasted and cooled milk powder to an airtight plastic container and add the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, fine salt and cayenne, if using. Cover and shake to thoroughly combine. Tightly sealed, the powder will keep nearly indefinitely in the pantry.
For one serving, heat 3⁄4 cup of water to a boil, then remove from the heat. Spoon 1⁄4 cup of the cocoa mix into a heavy mug and whisk in 1⁄4 cup of the water to create a paste. Slowly whisk in the remaining hot water.
Makes 5 1⁄2 cups of cocoa mix