On the fourth day of Christmas an ice storm came to town,
Pass some steaming mugs of cocoa all around.
There is nothing better than a bubbling cup of hot cocoa on a cold, blustery winter night. Last night freezing rain pounded our house from around 3 p.m. till nearly midnight, leaving us with a slick coat of ice on the ground. It was the perfect night to stay in, wrap yourself up in a warm blanket, and sip homemade cocoa around the fire.
Hot cocoa is one of those drinks that if made right can be addicting, but if made wrong, can be terribly disappointing. For years I have sampled every hot cocoa mix I could find on the grocery store shelves and taste-tested tons from coffee houses and restaurants. Although there have been some real winners among the many cups I’ve drunk, I decided the time has come to find the perfect hot cocoa recipe to make at home.
First on my list of ones to try was the traditional Hershey hot cocoa (find the recipe at Simply Grateful Cooking Hershey’s Traditional Hot Cocoa). The results? It was good. I can’t say it was the absolute best I’ve ever had, but it was very good, something I would make again — if there weren’t a stack of recipes printed off and waiting to be tested on the kitchen counter.
For now, I’m content we were able to enjoy some homemade cocoa together and begin our journey on the road to the perfect hot cocoa, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.
Simply Grateful Housewife 
No ice here (yet) but we have flooding. I love a good cup of hot cocoa too. I still keep going back to the recipe in my junior cookbook I’ve had since I was a child. Basic and good. When Bob had to give up dairy and went to almond milk it took a little tweaking, but I still use the same basic recipe.
I’d love to try your recipe if you don’t mind sharing.
Yep, that Hershey’s recipe is a classic. You could even try it with a smidgen less sugar and a bit more cocoa. I love rich cocoa! Of course, 1/4 cup semisweet chips melted into about a cup of whole milk is pretty good too. 🙂
I really want to try the melted chips and cutting the sugar down is a great idea. I thought about adding more milk, but that would make it less rich. Happy New Year!
Please let us know if you find a recipe that beats the Hershey recipe. Really good hot chocolate is such a treat. Enjoy the testing. 🙂
Grace is my more than willing test subject and claims she is definitely up for the challenge. We’ll keep you posted.
Wonderful!