Andes Candy Hot Cocoa

The first snow of the season has fallen, Christmas trees are up, and Santa made his appearance at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This means that it is officially Christmastime, and Christmastime calls for hot cocoa. Hot cocoa is so easy to prepare, that you should always be making it from scratch. It requires few ingredients and just 10 minutes of time, and it is worlds better than hot cocoa made from water and a mix.

In the past I have made hot chocolate by melting down chocolate chips, and this year when the weather turned cold I decided to make Andes Candy Hot Cocoa – a rich thick hot chocolate with a mint flavor. This is a fun nonalcoholic drink to serve at holiday parties that both children and adults will love. Sometimes I make a big batch in a slow cooker, which is a no fuss way to keep the cocoa warm during a party. If you do want to booze up your hot chocolate, just add chocolate or mint liqueur to your mug. (Adding the liqueur to the hot cocoa when serving it prevents the alcohol from cooking out).

I recently discovered that Andes Candy makes baking chips, which eliminates the tedious task of unwrapping individual candies. It is the type of thing that should always be in your baking cupboard – the chips can be added to cookies, brownies, or used as an ice cream topping. I found the baking chips in the baking aisle at my grocery store.

Serves: 2
Total Time: 10 minutes* using stovetop preparation

You will need:
2 cups Milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup Andes Candy Baking Chips
Whipped Cream (optional)

Step 1:
Pour milk into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat.

Step 2:
Once the milk is steaming, add the Andes Candy Baking Chips, and stir until they have melted.

Step 3:
Ladle the cocoa into mugs, and top with whipped cream and serve.

Or, if you want to use a slow cooker, pour the milk and chips into the slow cooker, and turn the heat on high. Stir frequently. The chips will melt as the milk warms. Once the milk is steaming and the chips are melted reduce the heat to low or warm. It will take about 30-45 minutes to prepare using the slow cooker method. If you want to speed things up you could heat the milk in a saucepan and then pour it into the slow cooker.