Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

holiday essentials: christmas cocoa

(1 rating)
Andy59 avatar
Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
@Andy59
Wichita, KS

I think that everyone probably has their own recipe for some nice hot cocoa. It is the kind of recipe, that when you take a sip, your mind goes back to simpler times, when all you had to worry about was what Saint Nick was going to put under the tree on Christmas eve. I am sure that there are many recipes on this site for hot cocoa, this is just my version… I call it a hot mug of memories. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

(1 rating)
yield 6 - 8
prep time 15 Min
cook time 15 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For holiday essentials: christmas cocoa

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • 6 c
    whole milk
  • 1 1/2 c
    half & half
  • 4 oz
    condensed milk, sweetened variety
  • 8 oz
    chocolate chips, sweetened
  • 8 oz
    chocolate chips, unsweetened
  • 1 tsp
    expresso powder
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch
    ground nutmeg
  • OPTIONAL ITEMS
  • peppermint extract, to taste

How To Make holiday essentials: christmas cocoa

  • 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • 2
    Chef’s Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not have any photos of this recipe, and it will be a few more weeks until I make some. So, I took a photo of my favorite Christmas cup, and “PhotoShopped” the whipped cream and candy cane into the photo. They are my images… I just puttered about with them.
  • 3
    Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
  • 4
    Chef’s Tip: Some people like the peppermint, and some… Not so much. What I usually do is put the peppermint extract in a small bottle with an eyedropper, and let my guests add a drop or two after they pour it into their cups.
  • 5
    Place all the ingredients into a saucepan, over medium-low heat.
  • 6
    Allow it to gently warm up, stirring occasionally.
  • 7
    Chef’s Note: Never allow the cocoa, to come to a boil, or even a simmer. When you see wisps of steam coming from the pan… it is at the proper temperature.
  • 8
    Chef’s Note: The sweetness of this cocoa will be determined by the mix of sweet and unsweet chocolate chips. You might wish to experiment with a small batch, until achieve the desired combination.
  • 9
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • 10
    Once the cocoa has warmed up, and the yummy chocolate has melted into the milk, set your burner to its absolute lowest setting… Just high enough to keep it nice and warm.
  • 11
    Cover, and let your guests pour themselves a yummy mug full of happy memories. Serve with some marshmallows, and maybe some candy canes. Enjoy.
  • 12
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT