Cobweb Hot Cocoa Recipes

CREAMY HOT COCOA

Steps:

• Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

HOMEMADE HOT COCOA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Add water; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk; heat to serving temperature (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Whisk until frothy. If desired, garnish with marshmallows, cream or cinnamon sticks.

HOT COCOA MIX IN A JAR

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine powdered milk, chocolate pudding mix, chocolate drink mix powder, creamer, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa. Divide the mixture between two 1 quart jars. Seal, and decorate as desired. These can be stored in a dry area for up to 3 months.
• Attach a tag with the following instructions: Hot Cocoa: Dissolve 1/3 cup cocoa mix in 1 cup boiling water.

HOT COCOA MIX

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine milk powder, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and creamer. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store cocoa mixture in an airtight container. Makes about 15 cups mix, or enough for about 45 servings.
• For 1 serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mixture in a coffee cup or mug, and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Top with dollop of whipped cream or a few marshmallows, if desired.

HOMESTYLE HOT COCOA

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan; stir in boiling water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring cocoa mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes; stir milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half into water mixture. Cook and stir just until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in remaining half-and-half and vanilla extract.
• Divide cocoa into mugs, top with marshmallows, and serve.

COCOA COBWEB CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 12 muffin-tin wells or line them with paper muffin cups.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; reserve.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternately with buttermilk.
• Spoon into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature.
• To make the icing, place the egg whites in a bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and orange juice and continue to beat until thick and shiny. If too thick, add more orange juice. If too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.
• Transfer 1/3 of the icing to a small bowl and color with black or dark brown food coloring. Spoon this dark icing into a pastry bag fitted with a tip, or pour it into a plastic squeeze bottle.
• Now, ice the cupcakes and make the cobwebs: Spoon the white icing into the center of the cupcake and spread with a small spatula or butter knife. Starting at the center of a cupcake, pipe a spiral of the dark icing from the center to the outer edge. Then, drag a sharp knife point from the center of the spiral to the edge of the cupcake. Wipe the knife clean, move about a 1/2-inch to the left or right and drag the knife in the opposite direction from the outer edge to the middle of the cupcake. Continue in this way until you have worked your way around the cupcake and formed the cobweb. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

PERFECT HOT COCOA

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups whole or low-fat milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 to 4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in a bowl, then whisk into the milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until the chocolate melts and the cocoa is thick, about 2 minutes. Divide among 4 mugs and garnish each with homemade marshmallows (see below) or whipped cream.

HALLOWEEN EXTRA-DARK HOT COCOA

Steps:

• Place the nonpareils on a shallow plate. Microwave chocolate in a shallow plate until just melted. Dip inverted mugs in the melted chocolate to coat the rim, then dip in the nonpareils to coat. Let set.
• Heat the milk, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth and steaming with tiny bubbles around the end of the pan, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the chocolate and whisk until fully dissolved and smooth. Pour the hot cocoa into the prepared mugs.

HOT COCOA COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, dust the dough generously with flour and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until slightly puffed and darker around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Sandwich the cookies with the marshmallow cream.

COCONUT HOT COCOA

Steps:

• Stir coconut milk beverage, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together in a saucepan over medium heat until cocoa and sugar are completely dissolved and mixture is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour hot cocoa into a mug.