Maple Hot Cocoa

I’d been sick for a while — in and out of bed, boxes and boxes of tissues later, and sick of staring at my bedroom ceiling. My brain said, ‘Feed me’. It also said, ‘It’s too cold outside. Feed me warmth.’ After a bout with two hard boiled eggs, I realized I still needed to give the part of me that needed it something sweet… and something warm. This is my first cup of cocoa of this season, and there will be many more. The maple syrup and the brown sugar not only bring sweetness, but they also bring warmth — exactly what my body needed on this day. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed developing it.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

2 cups whole milk

1 cup half and half

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa, divided

1/2 cup maple syrup, divided

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter on medium-high, moving the pan around as the butter melts to cover the bottom of it. Lower the burner all the way to low. Wait about a minute. Pour in the whole milk and then the half and half. Stir in with a large spoon. Add in half of the cocoa, stir in. Add in half of the maple syrup, stir in. Keep stirring until both ingredients are completely incorporated. Raise the heat to medium. Stir for about a minute and a half to two minutes. Add in the rest of the cocoa. Stir to incorporate. Add in the rest of the maple syrup. Stir to incorporate. Keep stirring until almost everything is dissolved. Raise to medium-high heat. Keep stirring and testing the temperature until it’s hot enough for you. Turn off the burner. Keep stirring. Strain any clumps from the hot cocoa using a fine mesh strainer. 

Serving Suggestions:

French toast, steak and eggs, a cozy fire and a book.