Day 13 – energy challenge – hot chocolate mix

My kids love hot chocolate with marshmallows. It is a special, occasional winter treat – especially when skiing.  But drinking warm things can also help to keep us feeling warm and reduce our reliance on heating.

Commercial hot chocolate mixes are easy to buy but they can be very expensive.  I am not even going to pretend this is healthy, but at least you know what is in it. I like my mix fairly sweet, but it is easy to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe or substitute a non-refined sweetener. You can also make it richer by adding real chocolate. I find that it doesn’t melt in so well – one option could be to make chocolate coated spoons and stir it in.

Go on – splurge a bit.  I promise you will enjoy this, especially snuggled up on a couch in winter.

Ingredients

2 cups milk powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coffee whitener (note you can substitute milk powder but this helps the mixture dissolve better)
1/3 cup cocoa

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Process for around five minutes.  (Note the processing is important to reduce the size of the granules, which makes it easier for the mix to dissolve.)
3. Store in a dry, airtight container.  It will keep for around a year.
4. To use, dissolve one or two tablespoons in a cup of hot water.  Top with milk and marshmallows (if desired).

Cost

Milk powder – $1
Sugar – 15c
Coffee whitener – 65c
Cocoa – 50c

Total:  $2.30