This is adapted from a recipe that ran in last weekend’s Seattle Times magazine (Pacific Northwest).
I couldn’t handle the thickness of the original, so I made some modifications to suit my needs. It’s not like anything I had ever had before: made to the original, it was more like pudding and required a spoon. This way, you can drink it.
Makes 2 1/2 8 oz cups
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar (I use light brown)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
Mix the above ingredients in saucepan over medium to high heat and stir constantly: you want it to come to a boil but not burn. When it boils, stream in, while stirring, 2 cups milk.
Keep it on the heat (I even increase it to high) until it comes to a boil, stirring gently all the while (this may take a few minutes: this ain’t Swiss Miss, after all).
When it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla extract. Serve at once or pour into a vacuum thermos to delight family and friends later.
The original recipe can be found here, and here’s the accompanying article.