Donna Klein

Baby, it’s cold outside! Of course it is. It’s winter! That means one thing in my house – time to enjoy some hot chocolate or, for sticklers, hot cocoa. While the day may barely make it to single digits on the thermometer, even with the sun shining, a good cup of hot cocoa sparks all kinds of cozy childhood memories.

As kids, we didn’t stay inside after school during winter. Since I walked to school, I just left on the snowsuit, coat, hat, and mittens, and spent the remaining fleeting minutes of light outside playing in the cold and snow with my little sister and our friends. We built snow forts and had snowball fights. We built snowmen, went sledding, and sometimes we went ice skating.

When we finally came inside, Mom would be at the stove making “hot chocolate” as a treat for my little sister and me. She warmed up milk, added some Nestle Quik or Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, and called it good. If we were lucky, we might have a few mini-marshmallows or some whipped cream on top, but mostly it was just heated-up chocolate milk. We didn’t mind. It always hit the spot nicely and put chocolate-y milk moustaches on our smiles!

My children rarely indulged in hot chocolate because we lived in Florida while they were growing up. Grandpa’s eggnog was the closest we came to traditional winter drinks in St. Petersburg! Hot chocolate, however, has been my friend every winter since we moved to Ocqueoc. Wait, now that I think about it, the only season I don’t drink it is summer, so it’s my three-season beverage.

I’ve had my share of packets of national and store-brand hot cocoa, and they’re ok, but after drinking so much of it, I’ve learned there’s nothing quite like the smooth silkiness of a mug of warm chocolate goodness made from scratch. Simple ingredients!

The easiest and least expensive way I’ve found to make your own hot cocoa mix at home is to take two cups of powdered sugar, one cup of Dutch-process (important) cocoa, add two teaspoons of cornstarch, and one teaspoon of fine salt. Add a pinch of cayenne, if you’d like. I sift all of the ingredients together and use one coffee scoop for a 10-ounce mug. I add cold milk to the powder mixture in the mug and heat it in the microwave until it’s really hot (don’t bring it to a boil). Stir the cocoa mix into the milk once it is heated. You may also use a small pan on the stovetop. Add the powder mixture, then the milk, and stir once it is heated.

I like to make variations on the basic theme, too. When my husband was a bartender, he’d make special variations using schnapps or whiskey that would warm me to the bone. Today, whipped cream and salted caramel are about as crazy as it gets for me. Sometimes, a little peppermint adds some zip to my day. A teaspoon of Trader Joe’s Chai Latte adds a spicy kick.

When I’m craving something really special, there are three wonderful places where I can enjoy quality hot chocolate (there may be more, but these are the ones I am familiar with). I love stopping by Sweet ‘n Sassy in Onaway, and the Painted Lady and Cook’s Coffee Nook in Rogers City. The next time you’re out and about in Presque Isle County this winter and crave something warm, chocolatey, and sweet, check out one of these places for a specialty hot chocolate served with a smile!