Hot Cocoa Mix

I am a homemade hot chocolate convert.
There are few things better than relaxing with a hot mug of creamy, chocolate-y bliss.

After discovering that most store bought cocoas, including the best premium brands are incredibly refined-- taking pretty much all the good-for-you stuff out of the mix-- I decided to make my own. I figure, if you're going to indulge, you might as well have a reason to rationalize why you are actually drinking for your health! So, after about a year of tinkering around with my own personal preferences, here is the winning recipe. Kick back, relax, and think about all those wonderful flavonoids that are keeping you healthy. It also makes a cute gift wrapped in cellophane with the necessary marshmallow garnish-- Taylor & Reilly gave them to their preschool teachers & coaches this year.

Homemade Hot Cocoa

5 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup vanilla sugar*
1/2 cup sucanat**
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1. Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.
2. To make cocoa, add approximately 1/3 cup to your favorite average-sized mug, fill with steaming hot water and stir well.

For a fun Christmas-y twist, you can substitute pulverized candy canes for some of the sugar-- yummy!

* To make vanilla sugar, slice open one (or more if you're a huge vanilla fan) vanilla bean and add to container of sugar, stirring up to combine. Let it sit for a few days. The seeds & pod from the vanilla will infuse the sugar with a nice hint of flavor. Or just use regular sugar if you're not feeling in a vanilla mood.
** You can find sucanat in just about any health food store as well as a few major chains, but you can always just substitute regular granulated sugar in its place, if desired.