Composition and properties, benefits for the body
The tonic, stimulating effect of drinking cocoa is widely known (its effect is close to that of coffee). However, the benefits of cocoa are much greater, and the harm is less. The composition of its fruits contains a whole complex of vitamins, minerals, organic acids, the positive effect of which on the human body is great:
- Reducing high blood pressure.
- Strengthening the vascular system.
- Positive stimulation of the heart and blood circulation.
- Stimulation of brain activity.
- Increased attentiveness, level of composure, concentration.
- Increasing the level of endorphins - hormones responsible for a good mood.
- Calming effect (strengthening the nervous system).
Cocoa is especially useful for women, since it contains a lot of vitamins A, E, as well as a whole “bouquet” of minerals responsible for the elasticity and good tone of the skin. There is a version that regular consumption of moderate doses of the drink prevents the occurrence of cancer, as well as the likelihood of heart attack and stroke.
Contraindications for drinking the drink include:
- diabetes;
- possible allergies;
- obesity;
- liver and kidney dysfunction;
- unstable bowel function.
However, if you drink cocoa without sugar (using a sweetener or sweetener) and with water (in a low-calorie version), then the drink is not a hindrance in the fight against excess weight. On the contrary, its use even muffles the feeling of hunger.
How to choose quality powder
Instant cocoa drink cannot be natural. Real cocoa must be brewed like coffee because it is ground cocoa beans.
Good cocoa packaging should be marked “non-alkalized.” This means that the powder has not been subjected to chemical treatments, which are usually done to improve the color and aroma of the product. This cocoa retains the maximum amount of nutrients.
Good cocoa powder is quite easy to distinguish from its low-quality counterparts
It is important to pay attention to such an indicator as the level of fat content. In good cocoa it should be at least 15%. This powder contains cocoa butter - a very healthy product with many valuable properties. An indicator of the quality of cocoa powder is also its structure. A good product should not have lumps or large particles. The color of the product must be uniform.
Important! You can also check the quality of cocoa powder after purchasing it.
At home, you just need to grab some of the contents from the pack with two fingers and rub it. Having dusted off your fingers, you need to trace what happened. If a greasy brown coating with a characteristic odor remains on your fingers, the quality of the powder is excellent. This coating leaves a natural component of the powder - cocoa butter, which gives it so many beneficial properties.
How to cook in a saucepan
To cook cocoa powder in milk in a saucepan, you need to prepare the following ingredients:
- pasteurized milk – 1 l;
- cocoa powder – 40 g;
- granulated sugar – 60 g.
Step-by-step cooking process:
Viennese coffee + recipe with photos
- Pour milk into a saucepan and put on fire.
- Pour a small amount of milk into a cup that has reached a temperature of 70 ℃.
- In a dry container, mix cocoa and sugar, stir into the milk set aside separately.
- Pour the resulting mixture into the boiling milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a spoon.
- Cook the drink over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the slightly cooled brewed cocoa into glasses, decorate with whipped cream, cinnamon or chocolate.
How to cook cocoa with water
In addition to preparing cocoa with milk, you can also replace this component with water. In this case, you will need the following ingredients:
- water – 500 ml;
- sugar – ½ cup;
- cocoa powder – 125 g.
Cooking method:
- Fill the pan with water, put it on the fire, wait until it boils.
- Place cocoa and sugar in a separate bowl. In proportion to 200 ml. liquid 1 tbsp. spoon of dry mixture.
- Dilute dry ingredients 2.5 tbsp. spoons of hot water, stir until smooth.
- Add the mixture to boiling water, stirring constantly.
- Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir with a whisk until the bubbles disappear. This will prevent any lumps in the drink.
Cocoa on water is an alternative to the classic version. Only in this recipe foam does not appear, as in a drink with milk or cream.
Cocoa in the microwave
If it is not possible to use classic recipes for preparing a drink on the stove, alternative options will come to the rescue. The following recommendations will help you figure out how to cook cocoa using a microwave oven. The method is ideal for use at work or if you need to save time.
Ingredients:
- cocoa powder – 1.5 teaspoons;
- granulated sugar - 1.5 teaspoons;
- milk – 180 ml.
In this case, preparing cocoa with milk comes down to heating the components together in a microwave oven. They are simply mixed in a cup and placed in the device on high power for 2-3 minutes. If the milk is from the refrigerator, it must be preheated for 40-50 seconds.
Cocoa can be cooked in a saucepan, Turk, slow cooker and microwave
In a slow cooker
Ingredients:
- milk – 1 liter;
- cocoa – 5 tbsp. l.;
- sugar – 3 – 4 tbsp. l.;
- a pinch of vanillin.
Mix dry cocoa with sugar, pour in a little milk, beat with a mixer or blender until the lumps disappear. Cocoa powder dissolves very poorly in cold milk, so it is better to whisk this mixture. Pour this mixture into the remaining milk and beat everything together again. Pour milk and cocoa into a bowl.
Cook cocoa in a slow cooker for 1 hour. In principle, after 40 - 45 minutes the multicooker can be turned off, but it is better to cook until the signal. Strain the drink through a strainer and serve.
Classic recipe
- We choose suitable dishes so that the drink does not burn. For example, you can take a saucepan in which you usually boil milk.
- Ingredients for cooking must be taken in the correct proportions. For 1 liter of milk - 300 ml. water, 4 tbsp. l. cocoa and 4 tbsp. l. Sahara. If you need more cocoa (for example, when the family is large), then the proportions can be increased to the volume you need.
- Mix water and milk, then put the dishes on low heat. Mix sugar and cocoa separately until a uniform mass is formed.
- When the milk warms up, add a small amount of it to the finished mixture and beat well so that no lumps form.
- Now the main secret is how to make cocoa tasty for children. Bring the mixture of milk and water to a boil over low heat, and then add the previously well-mixed mass to the container. While the drink is heating up, you need to stir it constantly.
- After boiling, continue to boil for a few more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove the dishes from the heat. Cocoa with milk is ready to eat!
A product cooked according to this recipe will be an excellent addition to breakfast or afternoon snack. A child can drink it with pies, buns and any other baked goods.
Note: video
In Turk
Read more about how to deliciously make cocoa with milk in a Turk. The container in which it is customary to brew coffee is ideally suited for this purpose, as it promotes uniform heating of the contents and maximizes the flavor of the drink. Both with milk and water, the result will be excellent and will delight you with the delicious taste of the finished delicacy.
Ingredients:
- cocoa powder – 2 teaspoons;
- granulated sugar - 2 teaspoons or to taste;
- salt - a pinch;
- milk – 250 ml.
Preparation:
- Mix cocoa, sugar and a pinch of salt in a Turk, add a couple of tablespoons of warm milk and stir until the lumps dissolve.
- Pour in the remaining hot milk, heat the drink, after boiling, pour into a cup and serve.
How to cook cocoa with milk
The traditional method of preparing the drink is not difficult to implement. All that is required is to have the components available and know their quantity:
- milk – 250 ml;
- boiled water – ¼ cup;
- sugar – 30 g;
- cocoa powder – 38 g.
Cooking method:
- It is advisable to choose a container with a thick bottom. To prevent burning, it is important to rinse the pan with cold water before starting cooking.
- Pour milk into a saucepan, heat, remove from heat until it boils.
- In a separate bowl, mix cocoa with milk (2 tablespoons), mix thoroughly until smooth (no lumps).
- When the milk boils, add sugar to the container. The quantity is approximate; if you like it sweeter, you can add a little more.
- Pour diluted cocoa into milk and stir.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes.
This is a healthy and satisfying drink. You can drink it both hot and cold.
Original recipes
You can cook cocoa powder from milk in various variations. This will give the drink a special aftertaste and variety. The following are recipes with the addition of chocolate, ice cream, yolk, cherry juice, cinnamon and walnuts, marshmallow.
"Like in a cafeteria"
Step by step recipe:
- Pour 0.5 liters of water and milk into the pan. Heat the mixture over medium heat.
- Separately combine 60 g of granulated sugar and cocoa powder.
- Dilute the mixture with a small amount of water, stir until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
- Pour the diluted cocoa-sugar mixture into the boiling contents of the pan in a thin stream.
- Stirring constantly, cook for 1.5–2 minutes.
- Pour the cooled drink into glasses or cups and serve warm.
With condensed milk
This drink is considered quite high in calories, but at the same time it is incredibly tasty. Condensed milk is a good alternative to regular milk. However, you should remember that for this drink you cannot use a product that contains vegetable fats.
Otherwise, this component will float to the surface of the cocoa film. There are no foreign ingredients in high-quality condensed milk. It contains only milk and granulated sugar.
To prepare the recipe you should take:
- Milk – 1 l.
- Cocoa powder – 3 tbsp. l.
- Condensed milk – 3 tbsp. l.
- Dark chocolate – 2 pieces.
Cocoa with condensed milk - a drink for those with a sweet tooth
Cooking process:
- Dissolve the powder in warm milk (in a small amount).
- Boil the remaining milk.
- Chop the chocolate chunks and melt.
- Combine chopped chocolate with milk.
- Combine all ingredients.
- Boil over low heat for about 2 minutes.
- Stir the drink all the time during cooking. Once it is cooked, remove from heat and add condensed milk.
- Stir well to dissolve the condensed milk.
If you use “taffy”, then you need to put it on the bottom of the mug, pouring hot drink on top. Boiled condensed milk gives the drink thickness and an unusual caramel flavor. But chocolate makes the taste more intense. This cocoa can compete with hot chocolate and become a complete, delicious dessert.
With milk powder
Ingredients:
- vegetable or animal milk powder – 100 g;
- water – 1 l;
- cocoa – 50 g;
- sugar – 50 g.
Pour water into a saucepan and place on the stove. After boiling, remove from heat and let cool to 70 ℃. Pour 100 ml of warm water into a glass, add dry milk, stir so that there are no lumps. Add the resulting mixture to a saucepan with water and stir.
Combine cocoa and sugar in a cup, add 250 ml of diluted milk. Grind the mixture to obtain a homogeneous mass. Bring the diluted milk to a boil, add cocoa. Mix well. Once it returns to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Cool the drink and let it sit for a while, pour into cups.
With marshmallows
Delicious cocoa for children and adults can be prepared according to the following recipe. Its peculiarity is in the way it is served, complemented by airy marshmallows. For flavor, the composition in this case is supplemented with ground nutmeg and cinnamon. The dessert drink will be even more aromatic if you bake it together with the marshmallows placed on top in the oven until they are golden brown.
Ingredients:
- cocoa powder – 4 teaspoons;
- granulated sugar – 4 teaspoons;
- milk – 0.5 l;
- water – 100 ml;
- cinnamon – 1 teaspoon;
- nutmeg - a pinch;
- marshmallows – 20-30 g.
Cocoa with marshmallows goes well with mint
Grind cocoa with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and warm water until smooth. Mix the resulting mixture little by little into boiling milk, allow the drink to boil again and pour into cups.
Important! Serve hot cocoa with marshmallows, putting a few in each cup.
With milk and orange liqueur
Ingredients:
- orange liqueur – 45 ml;
- boiling water – 80 ml;
- milk – 800 ml;
- granulated sugar – 80 g;
- cocoa powder – 40 g.
We dilute cocoa and sugar in hot water, put it on the stove and, after boiling, boil for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the milk, stir and remove from heat. Pour in the orange liqueur, stir and serve.
With cinnamon and vanilla
Cocoa can even be safely called a food and not a drink, especially if it is brewed with cream and a cinnamon stick, with the addition of aromatic vanilla. For 3 servings you will need:
- 3 tbsp. l. cocoa;
- 300 ml milk;
- 350 ml 10% cream;
- 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- cinnamon stick;
- a pinch of vanilla;
- coconut flakes.
Mix milk and sugar in a small saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Pour cocoa into a separate bowl, add warmed milk in small portions, grinding the cocoa. The result should be a liquid mixture without lumps.
It will take about 1/2 of the milk. Add cream to the remaining milk, add a cinnamon stick and add vanilla. Mix both mixtures. Bring to a boil and remove. Pouring hot cocoa into cups, garnish with coconut flakes.
It is important to choose cinnamon and not its analogue cassia, which fills the shelves of supermarkets and stores
With milk and ice cream
A cold, aromatic drink brewed with cow's milk from cocoa powder, served with a scoop of ice cream. The drink is very high in calories, and can even be used as a breakfast replacement.
You will need: 25 g cocoa, 50 g sugar, 250 ml milk, 150 g ice cream. Grind the powder very thoroughly with sugar. Heat the milk and add the cocoa-sugar mixture. Stir thoroughly so that there are no lumps. Cook for 1 minute and then remove. Cool the drink. Fill the glass ¾ full. Make a ball of ice cream and put it in a glass. The drink is ready!
With chocolate
Ingredients:
- Cocoa – 2 tsp.
- Chocolate – 30 g.
- Milk – 2 glasses.
- Vanilla and cinnamon - to taste.
Preparation:
- Mix cocoa, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan, add 3 tbsp. l. milk, stir.
- Add milk, stir constantly.
- Put on the fire, bring to a boil, add chocolate, cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour hot chocolate into cups and serve immediately. The drink goes well with cookies, pastries and even New Year's cakes.
With cream
The recipe below is quite simple to prepare. You only need to spend 15 minutes. of your time, and in the end you will get 2 servings of an aromatic, invigorating and tasty drink. When preparing cocoa according to this recipe, you should buy the following ingredients in advance:
- Milk – 500 ml.
- Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp. l.
- Granulated sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
- Vanilla sugar – 1 tsp.
- Whipped cream - at your discretion.
Cooking process:
- Heat the milk. If you want a hot drink, then boil it.
- Pour powder, granulated sugar, and vanilla sugar into the mug with which you will drink cocoa. You can adjust the sugar as you like.
- Mix the ingredients well.
- Pour in the heated milk. Mix thoroughly until the powder is completely dissolved.
- Cover the surface of the drink with a foam of whipped cream. Serve the drink immediately, as cream tends to settle after a certain time.
Cream gives cocoa a pleasant delicate aftertaste
With egg yolk
Ingredients:
- milk - 170 ml;
- cocoa powder - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- powdered sugar - 30 grams;
- egg yolk - 1;
- small marshmallows and brown candies to serve.
Dilute cocoa with warm milk. To avoid lumps from forming, first pour in just a little milk, stir the powder thoroughly, and then pour in the rest. In a saucepan, grind the egg yolk with powdered sugar.
Advice! Although the yolk is subjected to heat treatment, still use the freshest egg to prepare the drink.
Pour in the diluted cocoa. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Don't boil! Whisk lightly and serve with marshmallows in a cup. If you decide to use marshmallows, remember that they will melt quickly in the hot cocoa, so add them to the cup just before serving.
Cocoa with cherry juice
Ingredients:
- Milk - a little less than a glass.
- Cocoa powder – 2 tsp.
- Sugar – 2 tsp.
- Natural cherry juice – 20 g.
- Cinnamon - to taste, the usual amount - on the tip of a knife.
Preparation:
- Mix cocoa with sugar with the addition of a small amount of milk, then pour in the rest of the milk and juice. Beat the mixture with a mixer.
- The result is a pleasant-tasting drink that children and adults will enjoy.
- Serve with straws in cocktail glasses and top each glass with a little cinnamon and powdered sugar.
With soy milk
Soy milk becomes an excellent alternative for those who cannot drink cow's milk. You can also make cocoa with it. Just replace one milk with another and brew your drink according to the usual recipe. There are only a few nuances:
- milk must be heated slowly;
- Take 3-4 tbsp per liter of milk. l. cocoa powder;
- Do not boil for a long time;
- It is better to add sugar directly to the milk.
Coffee with cocoa and milk
Coffee fans regularly come up with new recipes to pamper their own taste buds. We invite you to try the original drink. Its smell and taste will definitely be remembered for a long time. In order to get a brightly rich drink, stock up on the following products in advance:
- Water – 400 ml.
- Ground coffee – 8 tsp.
- Cocoa powder – 8 tsp.
- Granulated sugar - 8 tsp.
- Low-fat cream - 8 tsp.
Coffee with cocoa and milk is an excellent drink option for coffee lovers with blood pressure problems.
Cooking process:
- Boil the milk. Add powder and half the sugar. Stir and remove from heat.
- Pour coffee and remaining sugar into the Turk. Pour water, boil the mixture, remove from the stove to allow the foam to settle.
- Once you filter the coffee, carefully add the cocoa mixture to it.
- Pour the drink into mugs, add cream to each.
Recipe with milk and cinnamon
How to brew a drink with milk and cinnamon? To prepare this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- 250 ml. milk;
- 1 tsp. cocoa;
- ½ tsp. Sahara;
- cinnamon (ground or stick).
Preparation:
- Pour milk into a small saucepan and put on fire. There is no need to bring to a boil.
- When the milk is hot, add cocoa and then sugar.
- Stir everything very well until the ingredients are completely dissolved.
- Now it's time for cinnamon: add it to the milk and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a lid, leave to brew for a few minutes.
If you want to make your cocoa especially tasty, you can use brown sugar instead of regular sugar.
Useful tips and secrets
Despite the fact that the recipe for making cocoa is very simple, there are many secrets to ensure that it turns out delicious. When purchasing cocoa, you should carefully read the ingredients on the packaging. Recently, supermarkets are increasingly selling cocoa substitutes rather than real cocoa. When preparing cocoa, also read the recommended recipe from the manufacturer.
If you use pasteurized milk to make cocoa, this will save a few minutes of your time. The fact is that pasteurized milk does not need to be kept on the fire after boiling. Once the milk has boiled, pour it into the cup of cocoa. You can add some fruits such as bananas or peaches to classic cocoa. They need to be finely chopped and poured into cocoa. Whisk it all together.
You can also make fruit-based cocoa instead of milk. To do this, you need to cook fruit compote in the evening. Strain it through cheesecloth and leave it to brew until the morning. In the morning, cook cocoa according to the classic recipe. It will be very tasty.
Some are afraid to drink cocoa, caring about their figure. It's in vain! It is impossible to get fat from it! Unlike chocolate, cocoa does not affect your figure. It does not contain as much saturated fat as chocolate (chocolate contains 20 g of fat per 100 g of product); a mug of cocoa contains only 0.3 g of fat.
The drink is very nutritious; one cup drunk at breakfast makes you feel full. How much can you include in your diet? It is not recommended to drink more than two cups a day. It is better to drink in the morning or afternoon. Drinking a cup during the day will give you strength and vigor. It is better not to drink at night; there is a risk of having a sleepless night, since one cup contains approximately 5 mg of caffeine.