Recipe: Creamy hot cocoa

Photo: Courtesy

Keep the cold away. Kenyans drink coffee and tea more than they do hot cocoa. In fact, hot chocolate or cocoa is given and or drank more by children and the elderly.

When it rains like it has been the last couple of weeks, this is my sleeping pill. A cup after taking a hot bath and dinner knocks me out within no time. I usually make a batch just before bedtime. My family loves it.

Serves: 3-4 cups

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 minutes

Ready In: 5-6 minutes

Ingredients:

? 1/3 cup cocoa powder

? ½ cup sugar

? 1 pinch salt

? 1/3 cup boiling water

? 3½ cups milk

? ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract / 1½ teaspoon vanilla essence

? ½ cup whole cream

Directions:

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan

Blend in the boiling water

Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir

Simmer and stir for about two minutes

Watch that it doesn’t burn

Stir in 3½ cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil

Remove from heat and add vanilla

Divide between four mugs

Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature

Serve with your favourite cookies or muffins.