Mixes for family use

There are so many wonderful homemade hot coco mix recipes out there but I thought I would share mine anyways. I am also sharing our favorite desert recipe of Chocolate pudding! Enjoy!

Kimi's Hot Coco mix recipe

4 cups of instant powder milk
1-1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c powder coffee creamer
1 t salt
2/3 c coco (I use a really rich dark coco)
1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix

Mix all the ingredients well and then run through a mesh colander or blend in small batches in a blender. Re mix the coco and store in an 2 quart or two quart jars tightly covered.

To make use 1/4 to 1/3 c mix to 8 oz of hot water. I add maybe a couple of ounces of the hot water then mix before adding the remaining water. Seems to mix nicer this way.

Chocolate Pudding Mix Recipe

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups skim milk powder
1 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. salt

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly and store in an air tight jar. make sure you label it so you don't get it mixed up with the hot coco mix. This advice comes from experience! LOL

To make the pudding mix:

1-1/4 cups pudding mix
2-1/2 cups warm water
Add about 1 cup of the warm water to the pudding mix to make it smooth before adding the remaining water. Add in 1 to 2 T of butter. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly till nice and thick. Turn off heat.

Once thicken you can add 2 eggs to make it richer or just add 1 to 2 t of vanilla. Adding the eggs are optional and must be done correctly. Personally we think it taste so much better with the eggs. Beat the eggs with a teaspoon of water in a separate bowl. Once the pudding it thick, add small amounts of the hot pudding (till you have used about half the pudding) to the eggs and beat well as adding the pudding. This will warm the eggs so when you add it to the rest of the pudding you do not end up with scrambled eggs. This is called "Tempering" the eggs. Add the egg mix all at once to the remaining pudding and beat with a whisk. (Here is more info on tempering eggs: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071207101159AAEwsTG )

Best if served slightly warm but our family likes it as soon as it is done cooking with ice cold milk poured around the sides of the pudding. Cream is even better! Makes a wonderful chocolate pie too! But make sure it is well chilled before serving and top with whipped cream.