Last night was quite frightening here in Tulsa. What began as a lovely storm to help one fall asleep evolved into more hail than I’ve ever seen in my life, waking me around 3:30 and sending me into a panic about going into labor. Obviously, I did not go into labor, but I was worried that my anxiety might cause contractions. And then how would I get to the hospital in the middle of a hail storm? (Ridiculous, I know.) So I calmed myself by looking at pretty blogs and thinking of new projects.
The storm is over, but it’s damp and chilly today. I can think of no better excuse for my favorite hot cocoa. If you’ve never tried homemade cocoa, you need to right now. Before the summer hits. We have some Green & Black’s Cocoa Powder that we used in a bread recipe, and on the side of the canister is the simplest recipe ever: “To make one cup: Mix up one teaspoon of Green & Black’s organic cocoa with cold milk to make a smooth paste. Add hot milk, stirring well. Sweeten to taste.” That’s not much harder than adding hot water to a packet of Swiss Miss.
I like to add some heavy cream to the mix and sweeten with two spoonfuls of raw sugar. I typically fill my mug with milk, pour most of it into a pot to heat (But don’t boil.). While the milk is heating, I add a couple teaspoons of cocoa powder and sugar to the cold milk left in my mug, and then I make the paste. Add cream and hot milk. Stir. Enjoy!
It’s so perfect that you want to savor it slowly and, yet, can’t help but gulp it down all at once. So perfect.
