Hot Cocoa

½ c. sugar
¼ c. HERSHEY’S® Cocoa
Dash salt
1/3 c. hot water
4 c. milk
¾ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in saucepan; stir in hot water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils; boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and add vanilla. (I usually forget to add vanilla, but this tastes yummy, anyway.)

Elizabeth always requests that I make "real" hot cocoa (as opposed to hot chocolate) for Christmas, so I made it this morning as we celebrated Christmas a little early since she and Toby will be at his sister's in Illinois on Christmas Day. I had forgotten how absolutely delicious this hot cocoa is! (It's the recipe on the HERSHEY'S can.) It has a much richer taste that hot chocolate and is worth the extra time. Just remember to stir before serving in your favorite mug or, even better, a fancy tea cup. Leftovers can be stored in refrigerator and reheated. (If using microwave to reheat-use about 70% power for 60 seconds or less, depending on your microwave's power.)

When I was a child, my favorite breakfast was Cocoa and Toast. Mom would make this cocoa, make toast, butter it, and cut it in quarters (triangles, no squares for me!). I remember sitting at the kitchen table in my p.j.'s and dipping my toast in the cocoa. Now it takes a certain knack to dip buttered toast in cocoa, without ending up with an "oil slick" floating on your cocoa. You must hold the toast almost parallel to the cocoa and only dip the bottom of the piece of toast in. Since this takes great concentration, it was not unusual for my mom to have to encourage me on school mornings to eat just a little faster so I would not be late. As I recall there was just something very comforting and warm about sharing the table with Mom, she with her cup of coffee and I with my toast and cocoa. I guess it was just one of the ways she showed her love for me.