Monday, December 22, 2014

Crockpot Hot Chocolate ***

I made a big crockpot of this for our annual trip to see the lights.  We always take hot chocolate and popcorn.  It's a tradition for us.  I normally do instant hot chocolate, but I've seen so many crockpot hot chocolates on Pinterest that I just couldn't resist trying one.  This seemed to have the least sugar in it, while still maintaining the sweetness for the chocolate.  I also loved the idea of getting the sweet flavor from sweetened condensed milk.  I just adore that stuff.  I didn't have any marshmallows on hand, but it was good without them.  Next time, though, I think I would use half water and half milk (or possibly all milk), to make it creamier.  That was really the only change I'd make.  It was nothing spectacular by any means, but it hit the spot.  The kids loved it!

CROCKPOT HOT CHOCOLATE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ CreatingThroughLife)

1/2 cup dry baking cocoa
12 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Marshmallows, as many as you want

1. In crockpot, combine milk, water, and vanilla.
2. Add dry cocoa and salt; stir until smooth.
3. Cover and cook on high 2 hours or on low for 4 hrs (or until very hot).
4. Top each serving with marshmallows. Can also do whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Tips:
To speed things up, heat the water before adding it to the chocolate mixture.
Add a mocha flavor by stirring in instant coffee in step 2.
Add a cinnamon stick for a delicious twist.
If the edges burn, you might want to cook it at a lower temperature next time. The hot chocolate isn't ruined; you just don't want to hit the sides when stirring and serving so that the little bits won't float in your drink.

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