Restaurant Recipe Reviews

When you think of great hot chocolate, you generally think of New England, the upper Midwest, and other cold weather areas. Maybe you think of ice skaters, ice fishermen, and skiers warming themselves in cozy lodges or by the fire on brisk winter days. Or maybe you remember your mother giving you hot cereal and hot chocolate before sending you out to play on a snowy day in January.

But, do not overlook the hot chocolate in South Louisiana, where the winters are almost nonexistent but the hot chocolate, like everything else folks eat and drink, is terrific. Cajuns can make anything taste good including hot chocolate.

In fact, my very favorite hot chocolate recipe belongs to a very busy college administrator, wife, and mother who grew up in Abbeville, Louisiana, where nearly everyone is an accomplished cook, including the men and even some teenagers. Here is Amanda’s recipe. It’s simple but delicious.

Start with 10 cups of dry powdered milk. It’s pretty much all alike, so choose any brand you wish.

Combine it with two and a half cups of Coffee-Mate or a similar generic product normally used as a cream substitute in coffee .

Add eighteen ounces of Nestle’s cocoa mix. You can opt for a generic here too, but it might not be a good idea.

Add 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar, and mix everything together thoroughly. Alternatively, if you are diabetic or watching your weight, you can use the artificial sweetener of your choice.

Amanda recommends that you try a cup of the cocoa (two heaping teaspoons in a cup of hot water), and add more of any ingredient you think it needs. I like the recipe as is, but I am hooked on chocolate, so I always add a little more cocoa…about an extra spoonful.

Whether you make a last minute ingredient adjustment or not, you’ll love this recipe. Your friends and family will too.

Betty Ignante is currently collecting recipes for a new website. In addition to cooking and home decorating, her interests include elementary education, online college degree programs, and online colleges with accelerated degree options.