Amanda’s Great South Louisiana Hot Chocolate
Most folks think you are likely to find the best hot chocolate in Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, Wisconsin and other northern snow belt states with extremely long and severe winters. Or, they think of Canadians drinking hot chocolate as the watch pond hockey, as they ice fish, or as they hunt. Some people think the best hot chocolate is found in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, where they are rightfully known for the quality of their chocolate products.
But, do not overlook Louisiana. Specifically, South Louisiana, otherwise known as Cajun Country, where food and drink are taken very seriously.
In fact, my very favorite hot chocolate recipe belongs to a very busy college administrator, wife, and mother who grew up in Abbeville, Louisiana, where nearly everyone is an accomplished cook, including the men and even some teenagers. Here is Amanda’s recipe. It’s simple but delicious.
Pour ten cups of powdered (dry) milk into a good sized bowl.
Combine it with two and a half cups of Coffee-Mate or a similar generic product normally used as a cream substitute in coffee .
Fold in eighteen ounces of cocoa mix. Amanda recommends uses Nestle’s. There are lots of good brands of cocoa, I’m sure, but try Nestle’s first and you will probably never want to make a switch.
Lastly, pour in 1 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. If you are trying to limit your sugar intake, a substitute like Splenda or Equal may be used instead. Stir all the ingredients until they are combined uniformly.
When the mixture is completed, add two heaping teaspoons to a cup of hot water to try it, and add a bit more of any ingredient to suit your taste. It is great as is, but I generally add a bit more cocoa to the mix and whipped cream or a similar topping to the finished product.
Whether you make a minor ingredient adjustment or not, you, your family, and your friends will almost certainly be delighted with the result.
Betty Ignante is currently collecting recipes for a new website. In addition to cooking and home decorating, her interests include elementary education, online college degree programs, and online colleges with accelerated degree options.