The original comfort drink
Few drinks say winter evening like a mug of cocoa. It has been warming people for a very long time, chocolate began as a drink in Mesoamerica centuries before it became a bar, and its modern form, cocoa powder whisked into hot milk, is a fixture of cold nights, snow days, and holiday kitchens. National Cocoa Day falls on December 13, when a hot cup is at its most welcome.
Cocoa or hot chocolate?
The two terms get used interchangeably, but they are not quite the same. Cocoa is made from cocoa powder, which has had a good deal of its cocoa butter pressed out, producing the lighter, classic cup most of us grew up with. Hot chocolate is made from melted chocolate and is thicker and more decadent. Neither is better; they are simply different pleasures, and today belongs to the powder. Within cocoa powder, Dutch-process is darker and mellower while natural cocoa is brighter and a touch fruity.
The secret to a lump-free cup is a paste. Whisk the cocoa and sugar with a splash of hot liquid before adding the rest.
Technique makes the cup
A great cocoa is more than powder and water. Start by whisking the cocoa and sugar with a little hot water or milk into a smooth paste, which dissolves the powder and prevents clumps. Then heat your milk, or a milk-and-cream blend for richness, slowly on the stove while whisking, and stir the paste in. A pinch of salt sharpens the chocolate flavor, and a few drops of vanilla round it out. Keep everything below a boil so the milk does not scorch or skin over.
Toppings and gifts
Marshmallows and whipped cream are the classics, but cocoa welcomes experiments: a cinnamon stick, a pinch of cayenne for gentle heat, crushed candy cane, or a shower of grated chocolate. For a homemade edge over store packets, whisk together cocoa, sugar, a little powdered milk, and salt to make your own dry mix, then jar it with instructions as a genuinely nice, low-cost holiday gift. If you want to bridge toward true hot chocolate, stir a little finely chopped dark chocolate into the finished cup; it melts in and adds body without much extra effort. A splash of strong brewed coffee, meanwhile, deepens the chocolate flavor without making the drink taste of coffee. On December 13, whisk up a paste, warm some milk, and pour yourself the drink winter was made for.
How to celebrate
- 1Start with real cocoa powder
A good cup begins with unsweetened cocoa powder whisked with sugar and a little hot water or milk into a smooth paste before you add the rest, which prevents lumps. Dutch-process cocoa is smoother and darker; natural cocoa is brighter and a touch fruitier.
- 2Warm the milk gently
For a richer cup, heat milk or a milk-and-cream blend slowly on the stove rather than blasting it in the microwave, whisking constantly. A pinch of salt sharpens the chocolate and a splash of vanilla rounds it out. Keep it below a boil so it does not scorch.
- 3Know cocoa versus hot chocolate
Cocoa is made from cocoa powder, which has had much of its fat pressed out, giving the lighter, classic hot cocoa cup. Hot chocolate is made from melted chocolate and is richer and more decadent. Both are wonderful; today is the powder's turn.
- 4Top it your way
Marshmallows and whipped cream are classic, but consider a cinnamon stick, a pinch of cayenne for gentle warmth, crushed candy cane, or a bar of good chocolate grated over the top. Small touches make each cup feel like your own.
- 5Make a dry mix for gifts
Whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, a little powdered milk, and a pinch of salt for a homemade cocoa mix that beats most store packets. Jar it up as an easy, honest holiday gift with instructions to just add hot milk.