Hot Cocoa

December signals the opening of the hot cocoa season at my house. I am not a fan of the taste of powdered mixes and instead make the real deal. That has the additional advantage of ensuring that my non-milk drinking child is fooled into some partially nutritious food. Hah.

And for the grown ups in the house, I include a shot of Peppermint Schnapps and a generous dollop of whip cream. I can confidently assure everyone that one taste of this drink will have you feeling enthusiastic about winter's cold.

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (if you use Dutch-processed, the chocolate taste is deeper)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 c. milk
a bit of vanilla, if desired

Combine cocoa powder, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it reaches your preferred temperature.

Happy drinking.

Update for Nichole: Try Dutch-processed cocoa. It tastes more like dark chocolate.