Tasty Tuesday: Hot Chocolate Mix

I know it's not Tuesday, but I really wanted to get this recipe posted before winter is over.

Not that you can't drink hot chocolate in the summer - because my kids totally do - but because if I posted this in the middle of July when the temps are climbing into the 90s, people would think what is wrong with her???

Ok, so people might be thinking that anyway. But for completely different reasons.

And besides, we got one final dusting of snow today before spring joins us next week, so today was the perfect day to make some hot chocolate.

We've been making our own chai tea mix for several years now. Seven? Eight? It's been a while. The mix is a family favorite. We've given many batches away as Christmas gifts over the years. And we drink our own fair share, pulling out the jar and mixing up a cup of hot chai tea as soon as there is a crispness in the air.

I've made that mix many times.

But I had never made my own hot chocolate mix. 

Crazy, huh? Sometimes I bought a big ol' canister of Swiss Miss. Other times - if I got a really good deal - I bought the individual packets. Most times though, I'd make it from scratch. 

Here's the thing - making things from scratch takes time. (I know, I'm just full of surprising information today.) Every time my kids come in from playing when it's cold, they want hot chocolate. Every time. But not every time do I feel like pulling out all the ingredients and starting up the stove. 

It was time to make my own hot chocolate mix. Not only is it more convenient, it's cheaper and tastier too.

I started searching for a recipe and found one that boasted it was The Very Best Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix. Well, who would want to settle for less than the best, right? I found my recipe.

Sure, anyone can label anything "the very best" just because they want to. Just look through some of the recipes on allrecipes.com that claim that same thing yet have not-the-very-best reviews.

But this one???

Really is the very best! All 3 kids informed me, "This is the best hot chocolate ever!" And that was without knowing its true name. Ha.

It is rich and extremely creamy. It's honestly is better than any from-scratch hot chocolate I've ever made.

And to think, every time one of my little darlings peels off layer after layer of snow-covered clothing, dropping each piece randomly on the floor and asks for a warm, chocolatey drink, all I have to do is toss some mix in a mug, and press a button on the Keurig.

Simple. Fast. Yummy.

And the very best.

And as a bonus . . .

It makes the very best chocolate milk, too.

So I could have published this in July after all!

Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients:   

25 oz. powdered milk
32 oz. Nesquik chocolate milk powder
16 oz. powdered creamer
1 lb. powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a very large mixing bowl. (I used the one in this post. Anything smaller won't do.)

To prepare: Stir together half a cup mix and one cup of boiling water. Garnish and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from somethingswanky.

Tasty Tuesday: Nutella Hot Chocolate

I had you at Nutella, didn't I? 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you could add Nutella to just about anything and it would be better.

Well, maybe not spaghetti. Although, ever since watching Elf for the first time a couple years ago, Jake insists on eating syrup on his spaghetti. And the one time that he tried it (since he was sitting with my dad while we were all at a restaurant), he actually liked it. In fact, I'm not surprised that my dad let him. Not only does he let the grandkids do all sorts of crazy things, he's the one who will take a swig out of the pure maple syrup jug at the house.

But I digress . . . on to the drink!

 Four ingredients. That's all it takes to make one delicious cup o' chocolate.

 Dump it all in the pan - proper proportions, of course.

 Whisk it up.

Once it's hot, pour it in a mug, top it with whipped cream, and enjoy!

This is so super simple to make. And tastes amazing! Come on, a chocolate and Nutella drink??? You have to try it!

Yeah . . . it's that good.

Nutella Hot Chocolate  (adapted)

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

1/3 cup Nutella

2 tablespoons cocoa 

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisk all ingredients together until well blended and hot.
Pour in a cup and top with whipped cream.

Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Place a medium bowl and your beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes (this helps the whipped cream stiffen faster.)
2. Pour all ingredients into the chilled bowl and start to beat. Start off on low and gradually work your way up to high until it is the consistency of whipped cream. (Don’t over-beat, or you'll have a repeat of THIS.)