Your mix is better than my T and T recipe!!!! But I would have added some vanilla sugar...or a 1/2 tsp of espresso powder...
And while I object in principal to powdered 'coffee creamer"?...really creamer??
I would have had to add some....but then what to do with the rest of the jar?..EWW!

I make this mix:

1/4 cup of powdered milk
1 tablespoon Droste cocoa powder
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon good quality instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

Dissolve mix in 1/4 cup of cold water in a large mug (powered milk clumps in really hot water), add hot water to fill.

It also works nicely in a blender with a few ice cubes and some cold water.

Eileen

Eileen, I'm copying that recipe for winter evenings. My husband would love that. I like the addition of coffee powder & vanilla powder too.

Oops, that should 2 tablespoons sugar unless you like it a bit bitter-sweet!

The Drost cocoa is what makes it tasty.

I'm the typo queen today...

Thanks everyone. I had a cup after I made it and you had to peel me off the ceiling! haha
I think maybe a little of the Drost cocoa might soften the intenseness of the dark chocolate a little. And I agree that it needs some vanilla. I had never heard of vanilla powder before.
Have any of you added cayenne pepper to the mix before? The recipe I used said that it didn't make it hot, just helped accentuate the chocolate flavor.
Thanks again.

A tiny bit of cayenne adds a bit of zing. It's tasty. I haven't added it to my mix but I have had it in mochas I order at a coffee house.

I use Cook's Vanilla Powder. I haven't tried other brands. This is the one I can find in the stores here.

Eileen

Here is a link that might be useful: Vanilla powder.

This reminds me of an idea I have saved. I need to find some silicone ice cube trays.

Thought I'd share but just want you to know I have not tried the the recipe yet.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Hot Chocolate Sticks

Oh, Nancy! Those look wonderful! Are you thinking of a novelty for your table?

Do you think they would sell at a farmers market? I am thinking Holiday goodies....

wizard, that sounds like a fantastic idea!

Where do y'all get Drost cocoa?

Nancy.......thanks for that link. What a cute idea! And you could put several of these in a mug, as a present. Cool!

rob........I've seen the Drost cocoa in lots of grocery stores.

Cost Plus carries it. Most well-stocked grocery stores carry Droste. The price varies widely. It's 11.99 at a grocery store close to me but 6.99 at the Greek deli. Cost Plus's price was in the lower range I noticed the other day.

thanks Eileen! I haven't seen it in my grocery stores here. Just wondered if it was a whole foods or trader joes' kind of thing.

Nancy, that looks like an awesome idea, I think they'd well well at Christmas farmer's markets and craft shows, and other fall markets as well.

Annie

Cayenne does help intensify the chocolate flavor, but you only need a tiny amount. You can also buy chocolate bars with cayenne, and they are fantastic - Lindt makes a good one, but it's nothing new.

My favorite cocoa powder is Valrhona, and you can get it at Sur La Table.

Lars

Rob.....maybe the Droste is falling out of favor, because I went to 3 stores this morning, and none of them carried it.
I think you could find it at a bigger city grocery store....or maybe something like a specialty cheese shop that also carries other things.

Rob.....I just thought of Whole Foods. I'd think they would carry it.

Here is a good explanation about different cocoas. I found this on the Joy of Baking site. I think it might help if you can't find the Droste brand....

"Cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor is pressed to remove three quarters of its cocoa butter. The remaining cocoa solids are processed to make fine unsweetened cocoa powder. There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural and Dutch-processed.

Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used. It has a reddish-brown color, mild flavor, and is easy to dissolve in liquids. Its delicate flavor makes it ideal in baked goods like European cakes and pastries where its subtle flavor complements other ingredients. Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands.

Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. Its intense flavor makes it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some chocolate cakes. When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that causes the batter to rise when placed in the oven. Popular brands are Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger."

Nancy

Pernigotti is the best unsweetened cocoa powder I've ever found. Williams-Sonoma used to carry it, then they changed to their own cheaper brand which is vastly inferior. It's amazing stuff, a really dark, rich brown.

I used to make my cocoa mix with the Milkman brand dried milk. I thought it gave a fuller flavor. Stopped making my own mix though; if it's around my DH will drink it twice a day in massive cups, LOL.

Interesting discussion on Pernigotti cocoa here, which makes me want to try it. You can get it at chefshop.com, sold by the kilo.

Lars

Yea, I can't find it either catherine. I did see a couple of people who liked Scharffen Berger's better than Droste, and that I can find my local chain who carries their products. I'm gonna try them this weekend.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scharffen Berger's site for their cocoa

It makes sense that Scharffen Berger would be easier to find that Droste. Scharffen Berger was purchased by Hershey in 2005. I haven't tried their baking cocoa. I'll give it a try when I'm out of Drost.

Pernigotti sounds really good. I may have to try some of that, too.

Eileen

I'm back into being a chocoholic! I had to give it up for a couple years because of migraines. But then I discovered that dark chocolate doesn't give me headaches. Same with a friend with migraines. When she first told me she could eat dark chocolate but not milk chocolate, I thought that was very odd. But now its true for me! So now its dark chocolate all the time! haha But I must admit, anything above 62% cocoa is pretty bitter. Does 62% still count? I guess I could always mix a higher percent cocoa with more sugar............

In the winter months I love a choclaty hot drink,
and I love my coffee, so what I do is combine the two.
Mother and I only drink instant coffee, so I add
a HEAPING spoonful of Swiss Miss to my mug of Maxwell
House instant coffee and I am happy. Yeah, we are simple folk, and not into anything 'fancy-shmancy'.

lbpod, I do something similar to that. Add a dash of cinnamon while you're at it, for an extra zing. Used to be you could get a creamer with cinnamon in it, so I would mix that on my way to work. Coffee, hot chocolate mix, and the cinnamon creamer. I say used to because I don't do it any more. May still exist!

publickman, thanks for the mention that Pernigotti can still be purchased! I don't know why I never thought to search on Amazon.com for it, but I just did and have ordered it from chefshop.com through Amazon's Marketplace.

It is NOT eligible for Prime membership's free 2-day shipping, but if you're registered at Amazon it's a one-click to order it...so convenient!

Oh boy, my Black Bottom Cupcakes are going to be soooooo good again with this stuff. They're good anyway, but with the Pernigotti they jump up a whole level higher.

Scharffenberger's cocoa is okay but Valhrona is better. But I like the Pernigotti best of all.

My friend likes mint, so I'm going to substitute some of the chocolate chips with Andes chocolate mint candies. Today I made a cup of the mix and put in 2 Andes mints in the hot milk. YUM! But I felt like I had just had 2 big servings of a very chocolatey desert! But there are worse things........
:)

lbpod, I also like chocolate in my coffee, although I will admit that I am more likely to drop a square of chocolate or one of those pastilles into a cup of hot coffee and let it melt.

Now I have to try Pernigotti, of course. My current favorite is Rodelle, available at Meijer, I've never even seen or heard of Pernigotti!

Annie