The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Ed’s Fireball Hot Cocoa Recipe

    The hot chocolate recipe on the back of the cocoa container tastes like bland liquid candy.

    This tastes the way hot cocoa should:

    Ingredients

    • 1 generous cup milk (full-fat is where it’s at)
    • 1 tbsp white sugar (just do it)
    • 3 tbsp cocoa powder (not chocolate drink mix)
    • 1/4 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
    • 1 tbsp milk for mixing
    • few drops peppermint extract
    • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
    • 20 oz Starbucks City Mug (got ’em cheap at a tag sale)

    Preparation

    • Microwave the generous cup o’ milk for 1 minute
    • Mix dry ingredients in the giant mug
    • Stir in just enough cold milk to make a thick mud (*)
    • Add peppermint drops using 1/4 tsp measure
    • Rinse 1/4 tsp measure with vanilla
    • Blend the extracts into the mud (*)
    • Stir in warm milk, scraping mud off the mug
    • Microwave for another 45 s or so
    • Stir to blend

    What’s going on:

    • More cocoa = more flavor, pure & simple
    • Less sugar = more cocoa bite
    • Vietnamese cinnamon adds the aroma & zip of those old Atomic Fireballs
    • Vanilla smooths the taste
    • Peppermint reminds you it’s winter

    Sipping a cup in the afternoon banishes the urge to power-nosh anything else until suppertime…

    * Update: non-alkalized / non-Dutch-process cocoa doesn’t blend well. Mix up the mud, let it set for 15 minutes, blend again, pause for 5 minutes, then proceed. Wonderfully smooth with no powder bombs.