Christmas Food Gifts: Ghirardelli/French Vanilla Hot Cocoa Mix

A few weeks ago I got really annoyed by the commercialism and non-stop bombardment of "Buy Buy Buy!" that constitutes the retail version of Christmas that I vowed on Facebook that I would only give small, home-made, heart-felt gifts. This cocoa mix is one of those gifts. 

When I was a kid, we were very poor but our Mom was very creative in the kitchen and for the same price of a few packets of Swiss Miss Cocoa that we could inhale in under a half hour (five kids!) she could make gallons of home-made cocoa mix.  This is one of my favorite memories from childhood winters-- endless comforting cups of cocoa.

It's a new day and, like everything else that was cheap when I was a kid, the "cheap" has wafted away in the wind BUT the beauty is that the warmth, the comfort, and the memories are still there.  I've updated the recipe to be with a better quality cocoa, less fat and carbs, but it's still one of my favorite winter things.

Ghirardelli/French Vanilla Hot Cocoa Mix

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse, inspired by cocoa mixes my mother used to make when I was a child--one of my favorite winter memories!

Ingredients:

• 3- 15 jars of French Vanilla Non-Dairy Creamer
• 25.6 oz (Makes 8qts) Non-fat Dried Milk
• 2- 10 oz cans Ghirardelli Premium unsweetened baking Cocoa
• 6 cups granulated Splenda
• 2 cups granualted sugar
• Optional:  2 vanilla beans split in half and cut into enough pieces to fit one into each container of mix.

Directions:

Mix everything together in an oversized (2-3 gal) mixing bowl. Divide into individual containers with airtight lids.  Place a piece of vanilla bean into each container if desired.  Print up labels with mix name and "Directions:  3 TBSP mix per 10 oz mug hot water. Stir and Enjoy."  Decorate containers as appropriate for giving occasion.

Makes 24 cups of mix. (That sounds like a lot but with only 5 servings per cup and lots of friends who love this stuff--it went fast and I need to make more already!)

Nutrition per serving (3 TBSP): Calories:  71; Protein: 2; Carbs 14; Fat: 1.5; Fiber:1  Weight Watchers Pts: 2.