Hot chocolate with Dandies

What are Dandies, anyway? Dandies are these very yummy, very expensive vegan marshmallows that I had to try made by Chicago Soydairy. I found them at Whole Foods yesterday and bought them on a whim. These things are ridiculously expensive; I paid $5.19 for a 10 oz. package. Definitely something I will not be purchasing often (I see this as a once a year thing, to be quite honest - probably only during the holidays).I think they are better than I remember non-vegan marshmallows to be. I always hated the commercial non-vegan variety. I hated the texture, I hated the taste. Before becoming veg, I got away from the commercial marshmallows and began making my own, which were far superior. It's been many, many years since I've had a marshmallow and I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm glad I was able to try them, but I just cannot justify paying $5 for a small bag of something I would rarely use anyway. Although, it is good to know they are accessible to me if the need ever arises. Even though I have not really had a need for them over the past eight or so years . . . .

This hot chocolate recipe is from a book I've had for nearly 25 years. It's called From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens and is not a vegetarian, let alone vegan, cookbook. Unbelievable that I had any interest at all in buying a cookbook when I was 13 and that I would actually still have it today, but it contains some recipes that I have made dozens of times over the years. This hot chocolate recipe is one I have adapted to be vegan.Hot Chocolate

4 heaping teaspoons cocoa powder
8 teaspoons sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup hot water
3 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine cocoa, sugar, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir. Do this two more times. This process kind of reduces it, making it syrupy. Be careful not to scorch it. Add the non-dairy milk and the vanilla and heat through.

I have been known to add a bit of Frangelico to my hot chocolate for a nice hazelnutty kick.