When I was a restaurant pastry cook, we didn't get a ton of orders for hot chocolate. But every once in awhile, on a particularly cold night or when hardcore nostalgia would hit, someone would request a hot chocolate and I'd whip one up.
Any good pastry chef is always prepared, and we had a hot chocolate base in our refrigerator ready to go: a thick, chocolate sauce-like mixture that could be mixed with steamed milk for a creamy, rich mug.
At home, I make something similar—but easier—to make hot chocolate when winter finally hits. Enter my homemade hot chocolate mix, my way of making something so much better than Swiss Miss. Simply blend together chocolate, confectioner's sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla, then keep the powder in your cupboard as long as the mix lasts.
I suggest making at least a double batch. Not gonna lie, I'm game to drink a mug of hot chocolate basically any time. Want it super rich? Make it with cream instead of milk. Want a lighter version? Make it with water instead. Add a spoonful to your coffee for an instant mocha, or add a shot of spiced rum for an instant hot co*cktail. Once you have this stuff on hand, you'll start sprinkling it on anything and everything.
Here's how to nail a mix that makes a rich, creamy mug of hot chocolate, fast.
Nail the Flavor
The most important part of a good mug of hot chocolate is flavor, and I want mine to taste like rich chocolate. To get that flavor, I combined bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder for a deep chocolatey flavor. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness and some vanilla adds just a hint of floral aroma.
Nail the Texture
Digging into hot chocolate theory, I discovered that cornstarch is sometimes added to hot chocolate mix to help give it a creamy consistency. The Epi Food Team was skeptical at first, but when my colleague Anna Stockwell explained that it sounded like a sweetened corn starch Mexican drink she was familiar with, I decided to give it a whirl.
To test out the theory, I tried three different versions: a mix with white sugar and no cornstarch, a mix with cornstarch and white sugar, and a mix with confectioner's sugar (which has some cornstarch in it to prevent caking). The cornstarch version thickened quickly, making the hot chocolate very thick and creamy, and in the end we decided on a combination of cornstarch and confectioner's sugar, for the ideal texture and sweetness.
Nail The Mix
The food processor saves the day once again. Just blend all the ingredients together and you'll quickly get a powder that resembles those store bought mixes. Transfer to a glass jar, seal tightly, and store at room temperature. Hot chocolate whenever you want it, done and done.
