Hot Chocolate

Contributor: Margaret (Aguilar) Lozano

“This recipe was developed after my brother-in-law, Frank, was assigned to a military base in Laredo, Texas in the 1950s. He’d enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate while on base, and upon his return, asked me if I knew how to make a good hot chocolate. After trial and error, this was the recipe that has been handed down to my family.” – Margaret (Aguilar) Lozano

12 c. water
12 oz. evaporated milk
2 tbsp. unsweetened Hershey’s Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. sugar 

Using a 5-quart stock pot, bring water to a slow boil on medium-high heat. Shake the can of evaporated milk and slowly stir into the water. In a bowl, mix the cocoa and cinnamon. Remove approximately one cup of the hot milk mixture and slowly combine with the cocoa and cinnamon, stirring until all lumps have been removed. Pour the cocoa, cinnamon and milk back into the stock pot and add the sugar. Stir until sugar is well dispersed throughout the hot chocolate. Bring to a slow boil (making sure it doesn’t boil over), before reducing heat to simmer.