Mint Hot Cocoa Mix

Hot cocoa is one of the few things that I will never, ever be able to give up.  Ever.  I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't gamble.  I don't drink coffee or tea, and I don't even really drink caffeinated soda.  A girl's gotta have some sort of vice, right?  And hot cocoa fits right in with my healthy lifestyle as long as I realize it's not a beverage - it's a dessert!

If you are trying to skip a lot of the Christmas baking this year (like me) yet love to give out goodies to friends and neighbors without spending a bundle (also like me) then you may be very interested in this tasty concoction.  It's also super easy to make with your kids, and the only clean-up it wiping the dusty residue off your counter tops.  It's a no-brainer, right?

But really.  Whose kidding who?  Although I will give this stuff out for Christmas this year, I'm not making it for "them".  I'm making it for *me*.


Mint Hot Cocoa Mix
(Makes about 40 1/4-cup servings of 110 calories each.)

4 c. instant non-fat dry milk
2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 1/2 c. non-dairy creamer
1/4 tsp. salt
1 10-oz. bag of Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips

It's important that you are using instant dry milk for this mix.  You want this stuff to dissolve easily in hot water without having to whisk it!  Start off by putting your dry milk in a large, gallon-size ziplock bag.

Add all remaining powdered ingredients: powdered sugar, cocoa, creamer, and salt.

Put your kids to work shaking the bag to mix up the ingredients.  Horsie Lover figured it out without much help.

 

I thought The Monkey was going to rip a hole in bag the way she was squeezing it with her hands, so I showed her how to turn the bag upside down and right-side up over and over again to mix.  Much better...

Once you get it good and mixed, open the bag and dump in the Andes baking chips.  Snitch a couple.  Eat them slowly and savor the moment.  Then give the bag to your kids to shake up again.

 

And in case you need help finding them in the store, they should be in the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips in a green bag, like this one:

 

This makes about 10 cups of mix.  If you're giving some out as gifts, you can buy a pack of 30 cellophane bags at Hobby Lobby for about $2-$3.  Since I'm not crafty, I just hopped onto the computer and downloaded a Christmas clipart background for our bag topper.

 Be sure to put mixing instructions on the bag: 1/4 c. per mug of hot water.  And trust me, this stuff is creamy enough without having to add milk!