How to Make Almond Hot Cocoa
Rich and versatile recipe can be easily adapted to fit your mood
Jan 28, 2009
What sounds better on a cold afternoon than thawing out with a cup of warm hot cocoa? If you can curl up in front of a fire, with a good book, even better! Or maybe you need a warm crowd-pleasing beverage in a hurry. Don't just boil water and open the chocolate powder packets. Take a few extra minutes to create a snowy day memory with these easy steps.
Decadent Almond Hot Chocolate
This recipe makes 4 delicious and creamy servings. It's a great treat to help you warm up after shoveling snow, sledding or enjoying a snowball fight.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. corn starch
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 water
- 4 cups half and half
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- Combine cocoa powder, corn starch, sugar and water in a 2 quart sauce pan. Whisk until smooth. It's important at this stage to remove all the lumps in the dry ingredients, creating a smooth liquidy chocolate mixture.
- Heat chocolate mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously until just simmering. This step helps develop the flavor of the chocolate.
- Add the half and half and heat until hot. Don't boil the hot cocoa, but heat it until steaming.
- Remove from heat and mix in almond extract.
- Pour into a mug and enjoy!
Whipped cream is a fantastic cocoa topper, but make it even more special by topping it with a light dusting of slivered almonds or grated chocolate. Make your own whipped cream by beating heavy cream and sugar. Or look for flavored whipped creams in a can, like Reddi-Whip Chocolate on your next trip to dairy aisle.
Marshmallows and hot cocoa are natural partners. They're so connected in fact that many prepackaged powder mixes already include little dehydrated marshmallows. You can definitely buy your marshmallows separately, in a couple of different sizes. But why not try your hand at making your own Homemade Marshmallows? They're almost as much fun to make as they are to eat.
Make Your Own Variations
Don't stop with my basic recipe. Simply substitute any of these mix-in ideas for the almond extract to make this your own.
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1 tsp. orange extract
If you're feeling particularly adventurous, create a spicy hot chocolate, by adding a pinch of any of these pantry staples to chocolate mixture in Step 1. Note- For best results, substitute vanilla for the almond extract if you choose to go the spicy route.
- cayenne pepper
- cardamom
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Save these spicier versions for your adult friends, unless your little ones are adventurous eaters. The flavor, while subtle and interesting to adult palates, can be a bit unnerving to the toddler set.
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