Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients

• 6 ounces moderately toasted sugar
• 5 ounces white chocolate, 30 to 35% cocoa butter
• 4 ounces dark chocolate, 75 to 80% cocoa solids
• 3 ounces Cacao Barry Extra Brute
• 2 ounces malted milk powder, such as Carnation or Hoosier Hill Farm
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, not ground coffee, such as King Arthur
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
• 1/2 teaspoon pure, ground vanilla bean powder, such as Heilala, or 1 leftover vanilla pod; see note for more details

Directions

1. Add the toasted sugar to a food processor. Spoon in the Dutch cocoa, malted milk powder, instant espresso, and salt, then add the white and dark chocolates plus vanilla powder, if that is the version you’re using. Pulse in bursts until the chocolate has broken down completely and the blend looks dry and powdery. Scrape the mix into an airtight container; if you chose the leftover vanilla bean pod instead of powder, tuck it in now. Hold it at cool room temperature, using the white chocolate package date as your cutoff.
2. For a mug, measure about 1 ounce (2 tablespoons; 28g) of mix and stir it into hot milk, using 6 ounces. Finish with extra salt or vanilla if it needs it, and serve hot.