Every year our family makes a hot cocoa blend for friends and family. This year we ditched the old recipe because I recently learned that there’s more to powdered milk than meets the eye. (Not that hot chocolate needs to be healthy, I’d just rather it not be modified in terms of the whole ingredients that go in it.)
I found a simple (and possibly boozy!) version and tried it out. It’s easy and delicious and can be modified based on all the dietary needs out there, e.g. subbing agave or something else for the sugar or a dairy-free milk for the whole milk.
Pre-made kits for special treats are a sweet and thoughtful gift idea and our local Savory Spice Shop has a cool kit for the chocolate-obsessed on your list (which may very well be yourself).
Savory Spice Shop’s has offered up to one lucky Austin-area resident a Loco Cocoa kit. This fab prize–and great value (under $25!)–includes 4 bottles of cocoa (Dutch Process, Natural Cocoa, Mexican Cocoa and Mayan Cocoa) and 1 sample-sized black onyx Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. The shop is a great place to look for holiday baking needs or gifts for your food-loving friends. Whether you’re thinking of just buying dutch processed cocoa in bulk (the most affordable option) for a homemade hot cocoa mix or upping the fancy ante a bit with a kit like this, I do hope you’ll check them out!
As a special end-of-year thanks to my Austin following, I’m also giving away one of the aprons we created and have up in the shop right now. It’s a great fit for both men and women, on a charcoal colored base that’s USA-made and locally screenprinted by the good guys over at 3DG Graphics. With two pockets and an adjustable neck, these aprons provide inspiration to get cooking in the new year (if not sooner!).
Enter by signing up for my Austin events email list below by 11:59pm on December 31, 2012. Email addresses will not be shared with any outside parties. You may easily and definitely unsubscribe from the list upon receipt of the first email.
Terms: Winner must live in or near Austin, Texas for local pick up of goodies, pick up is at Savory Spice Shop on West 6th Street; this is an independently-owned store and does not include the Arboretum location.
It’s ok if you are already on the local events mailing list; I use a service called Formstack that collects and timestamps all submissions on the form, regardless of status on the mailing list; duplicate email addresses are removed when added to the master list. Good luck!
disclosure: Savory Spice Shop provided me with a Loco Cocoa kit for review, but my opinions are still my own
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Kate Payne is an author, freelance writer and educator. She teaches writing workshops and classes on home food preservation and other food-based instruction both privately and at culinary instruction schools and centers... 
