aztec cocoa $0.34 per cup
I made an impulse buy the other day... one of those little packets of Mexican hot cocoa mix. I constantly crave hot cocoa this time of year and I've always wanted to try Mexican hot cocoa. In the back of my mind I knew nothing good could come of this little packet of powder, but something in me wanted to believe that it would be yummy. Anyway, it was less than impressive, much less. As usual, I thought, "I could do this better!"My version, although unbelievably simple, truly WOW-ed me. Seriously. I know you're supposed to use really high quality cocoa and high quality spices for this, but I just used my run of the mill pantry basics and got a really rich cocoa with a nice earthy kick. I don't think I can ever go back to plain cocoa.
The cinnamon adds a depth and earthiness that regular cocoa doesn't have and the brown sugar makes it just a bit more rich (thank you, molasses). The pinch of cayenne provided just the right amount of burn in the back of my throat to make me giggle with glee. This stuff is awesome.
Just a fair warning - the spices do not totally dissolve in milk because, well, they're not dissolvable. So, there will be some sediment on the bottom of your mug. If you're a French press coffee drinker, this will not bother you.
Why "Aztec" cocoa? I dunno, I just wanted something catchy.
Aztec Cocoa
Total Recipe cost: $0.34
Servings Per Recipe: 1 (8 oz.) mug
Prep time: 5 min.
| INGREDIENTS | COST | |
| 1 Tbsp | unsweetened cocoa powder | $0.04 |
| 1 Tbsp | brown sugar | $0.02 |
| 1/4 tsp | cinnamon | $0.02 |
| 1/16 tsp | cayenne pepper | $0.01 |
| 8 oz. | milk (2% fat or higher) | $0.25 |
| TOTAL | $0.24 | |
STEP 1: Heat the milk until hot, but not boiling. (I microwaved for about 1.5 - 2 minutes).
STEP 2: Once the milk is hot, whisk in the rest of the ingredients (cocoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper). Drink. Be happy.
Want to make a bunch of the mix to give as a gift? Here are the quantities to make 2 cups of cocoa mix:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Step By Step Photos
This is all that is needed to take cocoa from "yum" to "warm fuzzies all over": unsweetened cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. To measure the cayenne pepper, I just filled my 1/8th tsp measuring spoon half way. If you're sensitive to spices, try just a pinch of cayenne first... a pinch would probably be like 1/32. Of course, that's just a guess.
You don't have to mix the spices and sugar together before adding them to the milk, but I did this so you could see what it would look like if you made a big batch. It will still be a little lumpy because of the moisture in the brown sugar.
Stir the mix (about 2 tablespoons) into 8 ounces of hot milk. The cocoa and sugar will dissolve in, but the spices will kind of sink to the bottom. I swirled my cup as I drank to keep things floating around.
Can you say "YUM"? Whipped cream isn't necessary, but why not?
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