I don’t know about you…but I like my chocolate… chocolaty…VERY chocolaty. Semi-Sweet has it’s place, but it’s not in my mug of hot chocolate! This fun project is one the whole family can get in on. Setting up an assembly line to crank these out is just pure fun for the little ones especially. The lucky people you give this to will adore the presentation of this simple gift that has been made just for them!
Recipe for this Chocolaty Goodness: I have mixed and mingled several recipes over the years, to come up with my own variation of mouth watering chocolaty chocolate! The ingredients below seem to yield just the right flavor, and just the right amount for gifting to approximately4- 6 people (Using 4 or 6 Large Mason Jars). Makes 8 cups of MIX and 24 cups of Hot Chocolate (mmmm)…reduce by half to create 3 Hot Chocolaty Chocolate Jars! This is the total amount of each item you will need for making this quantity of mix, so do not blend ingredients unless you are going to drink and store for your own use. Below that you will find the breakdown per mason jar for 2 different sizes of jar. **For a less chocolaty experience you can use 1/2 the amount of pudding mix (1 package). 3 cups chocolate chips 3 cups of mini marshmallows 6 1/2 cups powdered milk 2 packages non-instant chocolate pudding mix (package typically 5 oz.) 1 cup powdered chocolate milk drink mix (Nesquik,or something of the sort) 1/2 cup powdered non-dairy creamer 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows This can be stored for the season if you are making for your own use. Just be sure to seal in an airtight container. If your Mason Jar will hold enough MIX for 4 cups of hot chocolate: 1/2 cup of chocolate chips 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows 1 cup and 1 tablespoon powdered milk 1 1/2 oz. of non-instant chocolate pudding mix 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons powdered chocolate drink mix 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon powdered non-dairy creamer 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon powdered sugar 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder If your Mason Jars are sized for the amount of MIX needed for 8 cups of hot chocolate: 1 cup of chocolate chips 1 cup mini marshmallows 2 cups and 3 tablespoons powdered milk 3 oz. of non-instant chocolate pudding mix 1/3 cup powdered chocolate drink mix 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons powdered non-dairy creamer 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons powdered sugar 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder Optional: add cinnamon and nutmeg for more of a Mexican Hot Chocolate flavor. Add a touch of Almond Extract while boiling…fantastic… Throw a Vanilla Bean into the mix and watch your taste buds electrify. There are so many variations on hot chocolate, but each and every recipe should have one thing in common…sweet, chocolatly, rich flavor! Add layers of each ingredient to your jar in any order you prefer: Creating your layered mason jar container is most easily maintainable if you put the solid ingredients on the bottom (chocolate chips, marshmallows, etc). In my experience, if they are placed at the top, they will shimmy and shake their way down your container, mixing your beautifully defined layers for you as you go! Not preferable for the striping effect. Keep your ingredients separated and add to the jar individually, layering for color variation as you go. If you want the marshmallows to be given as a topper, consider placing only those at the top of the jar or placing them in a separate cello bag along with your instructions!
Create a personalized gift tag with instructions for use: {Pour contents into mixing bowl and wisk ingredients together. Be sure to blend well so each cup has an equal flavoring of chocolaty goodness. To drink: Add 1/4 – 1/3 cup of blended mix to 8 oz. of boiling water. Stir until disolved and serve. If you prefer, you can also add 1/4-1/3 cup of blended mix to 8 oz water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently (chocolate can burn fairly easily if you aren’t careful). Reduce heat and serve. To make multiple servings of hot chocolaty chocolate at the same time, boil the appropriate amount of water necessary for the total number of servings you will be making (8 oz of water per serving). Stir in 1/4-1/3 cup of blended mix until dissolved, reduce heat and serve. Enjoy….}
