During Winter, nothing epitomizes warmth more than a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. This holiday, why not package that feeling for your loved ones by making inexpensive and thoughtful homemade hot cocoa?

Unlike store-bought mix, which often tastes chalky and watered-down, this edible gift is velvety in texture and pure chocolate in flavor. This year, I'm making a large batch and distributing individually decorated packages of mix to members of my extended family. To make your own version of this luscious-tasting gift, read more.

Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix
From EpicuriousVanilla Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients

4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise
1 1/2 pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

Directions

  1. Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
  2. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.)
  3. Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
  4. To gift, carefully transfer mix to decorative jars or bags. Add instruction labels for recipents: "For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded (or microwave 2 1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows. Mix keeps airtight at room temperature for up to six months."

Makes 10 cups of mix (24 to 36 servings).

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