My son rarely gets carried away with compliments for food or beverages (unless you count Junior Mints or really good chocolate like Moonstruck Chocolate as food). For the last several years, however, he can’t stop complimenting a certain hot beverage we’ve discovered.
Let me back up…I should start by explaining that we love hot chocolate and, while I admit to having enjoyed Swiss Miss (powder mixed with hot water) as a kid, we now tend to only have hot chocolate made with milk. It’s not because we’re snobs or have anything against Swiss Miss, it’s actually due to our kids’ deficiencies of calcium and our doctor’s urging us to find a way to get more milk in their diets. Our first few attempts were pretty much failures, because we just tried to use milk instead of water with standard powder brand. I decided to turn it into a quest…a challenge…a game to find the best hot chocolate (made with milk).
By best I don’t mean most exquisite a la Marie Belle or Moonstruck Organic Double Dark, I mean good enough for daily consumption and to have my kids asking for it day after day but not unreasonably expensive.
We went through Godiva, Trader Joe’s brand cocoa, Whole Foods brand cocoa, Ghirardelli cocoa (too chalky), Hershey, the Williams-Sonoma brand with shredded chocolate pieces that you melt on the stove (they really liked this one but I found it too time consuming and labor intensive for everyday use) and many more. Then, last winter, we received a catalog with a picture of a jar (the only brand that used a jar, not a tin or packet) of hot chocolate mix.
A friend of mine (who is a very good cook) recommended a company called Penzeys (based in Brookfield, Wisconsin) for its amazing spices. She insisted that the spices were so much more flavorful and pungent than any you could buy in a market and that I had to try them. She was absolutely right (especially about their many types of cinnamon). But I hadn’t heard about their hot chocolate until I received the Penzeys catalog.
As I looked at that jar on the cover, I had a feeling that this one might be different. It said, Penzeys Hot Chocolate Mix with a Hint of Mint. “Hmmm,” I thought. “We like chocolate covered mints, but what’s important for good hot chocolate is the chocolate flavor; it can’t have too much mint. Well, a hint of mint sounds ideal. I’ve got to try this.” I ordered one jar, as well as a jar of Penzeys plain hot chocolate mix.
When it arrived, the lid had been broken in transit and the mix was all over the box. I called and explained and expected no sympathy but was surprised by what I heard. The woman on the phone (with a lovely midwestern accent) was understanding and gracious and said they would send out another jar right away. I appreciated her kindness and proceeded to make a few cups of hot chocolate from the other jar. It was really good. The powder dissolved more fully than other brands with powder and it took much less time than the shaved chocolate (that you melt on the stove). We just heated the milk in the microwave then added a generous tablespoon of the Penzeys powder and stirred. Simple, fast and delicious. The kids gave it a definite thumbs up.
Less than a week later, the Hint of Mint replacement jar arrived. When I made the kids their cups of that hot chocolate, the rave reviews started rushing in. I kept ordering more throughout the cold winter months and we stayed with that brand the rest of the season.
Fast forward to this year. We’re back on our hot chocolate kick and went right to the Penzeys. This year, my son is so enthusiastic about this hot chocolate, he’ll stop in the middle of his lengthy, passionate description (complete with play-by-play) of last night’s football game, look at me and say, “Mom! This hot chocolate is the absolute best ever. There is no hot chocolate better than Penzey’s Hint of Mint.”
Well, there you have it. Without a doubt (and after exhaustive study), the best hot chocolate for kids: Penzeys Hot Chocolate Mix with a Hint of Mint!
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Penzeys stores are located throughout the country or you can order from the catalog or online.
($6.49 for a 13.4 oz jar or $6.70 for 1 lb. replacement bag)
