First, why would I bother making my own when it's so readily available in store-bought containers? Because the first ingredient on their label these days is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP-- that's a good enough reason for me to get mixin' and boilin'! Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I refuse EVERYTHING that has 'that kind of corn syrup' in it, but I try not to add it to anything if/when I find there's another choice. So, having explained that, here goes....
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Hershey's cocoa (I ALWAYS sift cocoa-- and, powdered sugar, too-- because I HATE 'chasing' clumps and lumps.)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 and 3/4 cups water
- 2 dashes salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions:
- Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in 3 quart saucepan.
- Add water, and whisk until very smooth/blended.
- Over medium heat, bring this mixture to a boil, stirring/watching carefully. (We don't want to end up with a scorched taste.)
- Allow it to bubble/boil for 3 minutes. Be careful/watchful because this can easily boil over. (One who made this recipe and posted a review on a separate website said she first boiled it for the specified time, then turned the heat to really low and let it simmer for about 7 minutes to 'thicken it up' a bit.)
- Remove from heat; after it cools a bit, add vanilla and refrigerate. It will thicken a bit more as it cools.
