I’ve wanted to do this hot chocolate bar for my family for a long time and finally got around to putting it together it was fun for us to get together as family and enjoy a night for talking and eating and warming ourselves with a bit of warm hot cocoa. We as a family, hope you will enjoy a night at home with your family making memories.
I’m listing two types of Hot Chocolate recipes you can use, one is a hot chocolate dry mix and the other is a Milk and cream chocolate milk.
Basic Creamy Hot Chocolate Mix
**Recipe serves approximately 18 cups Hot Chocolate, water added (Depending how much mix you use in each cup.)
**Makes about 6 cups of the Dry Cocoa Mix
*5 cups Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk, crushed or blended until smooth
*1 cup unsweetened Cocoa or Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa or a good Dutch Chocolate or Cocoa of your choice
*1 cup Powdered Non-Dairy Creamer, flavored if desired
*3-3 1/2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar, depending on your taste for sweetness
*pinch of Sea Salt
In a large bowl combine the above dry Ingredients and mix together well and store in an air-tight container. (How long to store the mix will depend on the expiration dates on dry milk and creamer that you use.)
We used 1/3 cup of the Basic Creamy Hot Chocolate mix per Chocolate mug/cup mixed with hot water. Add any extra chocolate dippers flavorings desired.
Note: We used the Hershey’s Dark Powdered Cocoa and mixed the mix ingredients in a plastic gallon sized Ziploc bag, with name of the mix, expiration date and to add 1/3 cup of mix to a cup of hot water.
List of Extra Flavorings and Chocolate:
(All of the below are to your taste.)
*Whipping Cream, to taste
*Vanilla
*Cinnamon
*Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper
*Malted Milk Powder
*Peppermint Extract/Flavoring
*Torani Flavorings, we used Irish Cream and Classic Caramel
*Homemade Caramels, easy melting
*Small crushed Peppermint Sticks
*Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Dippers
*Rolo Dippers
*Guittard Milk chocolate Chip Dippers
*Guittard Vanilla Milk Chips Dippers
*Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chip Dippers
*Mini Chocolate Chips; for easy melting, any flavor
*Hershey’s Kisses
*Crushed a Toffee Bits
*Small Cinnamon Candies
*Marshmallows; Snowman, Square, homemade and etc…..
*Whipped Cream Topping, your choice
Cookie Dippers:
*Luxury Wafers, we used Royal Dansk a tall round filled Wafer, or any tall wafer
*Pumpkin Biscotti, see link below
Hot Chocolate Milk or Dark Chocolate Milk Recipes:
*1/2 cup granulated Sugar
*1/2 Unsweetened Powdered Cocoa for more of milk chocolate flavor and for a rich dark Hershey’s Special Dark
*5 cups Whole Milk
*1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
*Whipping Cream, as much as desired.
Mix together the sugar and cocoa powder. Then add the milk and vanilla and whipping cream.
In a stock pot on low heat and stir all the above ingredients until sugar is dissolved, Do Not bring to a Boil or you can put the ingredients in a crock-pot on low until sugar is dissolved and then on warm. Serve adding the above flavorings as desired.
****We also used a Chilled Eggnog.
No-Egg Eggnog
* 1 package 3.5 ounces/99 grams French Vanilla Instant Pudding
*5 cups whole Milk
*1/4 teaspoon Salt
*2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
*1 teaspoon Vanilla
*1 cup Whipping Cream, whipped
*1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg, optional
*Cinnamon Sticks, optional for stirring stick
*Ground Cinnamon, optional
in a blender combine; Pudding, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour into large mixing bowl and stir in the nutmeg and whipped cream and whip for about two minutes with and mixer. Pour into a serving container and chill thoroughly. Serve topped with Squirt whipped cream (Reddi Whip) Sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg.
Note: We used mugs and cute shoot glasses for eggnog and the hot chocolate.
Also see Hot Cocoa Station
Chocolate Stirrers
*Guittard Milk chocolate Chip, melted
*Guittard Vanilla Milk Chips, melted
*Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chip, melted
*Ice Cube Trays
*Crushed Peppermint sticks, optional
Melt milk, vanilla and dark chocolates individually in the microwave, in 1 cup glass measuring cups, in 30 second intervals until melted. Pour melted chocolate chips into ice-cube trays and allow to set slightly and add the wood scoop spoons and sprinkle with crushed peppermint sticks if desired. Let them set and remove and add to chocolate hot milk drinks as desired.
Marshmallow Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Dippers
*small Candy Canes
*medium Marshmallows, we used blue raspberry
*White Almond Bark, melted for glue
*crushed Peppermint candy Canes
*Wax Paper
Poke a hole in the top of the marshmallow add small amount of warm not hot melted almond bark and insert candy cane and allow to dry. Then dip bottom of the marshmallow into warm melted almond bark and dip in crushed peppermint and allow to dry on wax paper. Use as hot chocolate dipper or on eggnog glass.
Snowman on a stick
*Large Marshmallows, 3 for each snowman
*Vanilla Almond Bark, melted, glue for holding each marshmallow at the bottom of poked marshmallow, so it won’t slide down wood skewer
*Wood Skewers
*Black Food Marker, eyes, buttons, mouth
*Orange Food Marker, nose
*Chocolate Almond Bark, melted hat of snowman, dip head marshmallow in chocolate
See Pumpkin Biscotti
Enjoy!
Lindy and Jessica
