DIY 365: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

It's been cold here. I mean really cold - holy cow, it's cold! - cold. One of the best things about a bitterly cold day is hot cocoa.

After Christmas, we had a bunch of peppermint candy. Calling them candy canes is a bit generous at this point.

One of my favorite cold-weather treats is hot cocoa with a candy cane stirrer. The peppermint candy wasn't suitable for stirring, but it was perfect to turn into peppermint hot cocoa mix.

To start, I smashed the peppermint candy. Put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag, and put it on an old cookie sheet before beating it with the flat side of a meat mallet.

This is good therapy!

 Out of the eight-ish candies, I ended up with about 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint. It doesn't have to be powdered - more on that later.

Next, I made the hot chocolate mix. My favorite recipe is from Favorite Brand Name Gifts from the Christmas Kitchen (1998, Publications International), available from Amazon here. I like it because it doesn't call for chocolate milk mix. It's nonfat dried milk, sugar, non-dairy creamer, cocoa and a pinch of salt.

Now, the recipe stops here. But I add an extra step. I toss it in my Magic Bullet.

I truly love my Magic Bullet. This is the secret weapon that turns homemade mix into super-fine, perfectly mixed hot cocoa mix. It's also the reason I didn't worry about pulverizing the peppermint into powder (how's that for alliteration?). The end result is comparable to commercial mix in texture.

Put it in a pretty jar to give as a gift or keep it for yourself. Use 1/4 cup of mix per 8-ounce cup of how water. Add mini marshmallows to make it extra special.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

Adapted from Favorite Brand Name Gifts from the Christmas Kitchen.

Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Working in batches, blend in a small blender (such as a Magic Bullet) or mini chopper until fine and no large chunks of peppermint remain.

To make one serving: Put 1/4 cup mix in a mug and add 6 to 8 ounces of hot water. Stir well. Top with miniature marshmallows, if desired.