WARNING: If you are on a diet, or if you gave up Chocolate for Lent, you might want to skip this post. It’s dangerous.
For the last two years, I’ve been trying to learn to make things myself so I don’t have to buy them. It’s been a fun little adventure to see what I can produce out of my kitchen in order to keep pennies in my wallet.
And for the last 38 years I have been a big fan of chocolate. In my book, anything in the form of chocolate is good. Very good.
Therefore, it is my pleasure to introduce you to a very simple recipe that saves money, uses items I already have in my pantry, and involves chocolate.
Be still my heart.
Here is the recipe for Chocolate Syrup from Amy Dacyczyn’s The Complete Tightwad Gazette (which you can get from the library).
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
? teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
- Mix the cocoa and the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa.
- Add the sugar to the saucepan and stir to dissolve.
- Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the salt and the vanilla.
- Let cool, then pour into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.
Makes two cups.
The whole process takes less than ten minutes (not including the cooling).
If you like pictures, I attempted to document the process… Not my best shots, but it’s hard to focus when there’s chocolate involved.
Put the cocoa in the saucepan with water, then whisk it up until it dissolves
Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves
Let it boil, but keep a close eye on it since this will boil over quickly. Keep stirring to prevent scorching (it’s only three minutes).
Add salt and vanilla, stir and remove from the heat.
Let it cool down to room temperature and then transfer it into a good storage bottle. Store it in the fridge.
(I got this idea from Rachel and I’m totally stealing it. How cute is this? You can find these flip bottles at craft stores, The Container Store or the beer cooler – some beers are sold in these flip top bottles!).
Serve it over ice cream or for chocolate milk (with bendy straw optional)
Enjoy!
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
oh dear but that does look delightful.
I know. I’m still working on a way to get the calories to leak out of the bottle (instead of my hips!)
Looks fantastic!! I love this idea – we always run out and the kids LOVE chocolate milk!
Oh, that is soo simple!! I’m going to have to give it a try! I MUST have chocolate syrup on my ice cream! And, LOVE the bottle!!
…and sprinkles. Pure Heaven!
Sharon:
Thanks SO MUCH for sharing this post!!! I’ve been wondering about making my own chocolate syrup for a while now, so this was great! I, too, try to find ways to make my own stuff because I don’t like all the terrible ingredients that go into processed foods.
And what’s better than CHOCOLATE?!!!!
totally true. No High Fructose Corn Syrup. Just sugar!
(we have to avoid a lot of processed foods too, ’cause Nature Boy is allergic to soy. I think he overdosed while he was in Asia during Grad School!)
Amy has always been a hero of mine. Like Superstar fame. I wonder if she knows this. This is awesome thanks for sharing. Could you share/link up this recipe here:
http://www.blahtota-daa.blogspot.com/
Thank you for all you do.
Teresa
thanks for the invite! I’m in.
I also linked you up/back fro my blog here:
http://www.moneysavingmaineac.com/2010/02/we-have-to-try-this.html
Oh wow I bet this is awesome, I am so trying it. Wonder how long will it keep?
I’m not sure, but I would guess a few months… it won’t last that long at my house though!
Yum Yum Yum!
I have all 3 of Amy Dacyczyn’s books and don’t recall seeing this recipe…can’t wait to try it…Thank you!!
Cool! You’ll be impressed Kelly!
(by the way, I’m re-reading the Harry Potter series and I got a chuckle out of your email address…. Good One!)
Oh that chocolate looks heavenly… the whole thing looks so good, and simple too! Yes, even the flip top bottles. Finally found a good use for them after chugging down all the beer, haha!
This looks wonderful! I’m gonna have to try it.
It is wonderful! And Habit Forming!! smiles
We make homemade syrup all the time, and hot fudge sauce as well. I never thought of adding cocoa powder to my syrup recipe to make regular chocolate syrup! Thanks for the idea.
Oh my goodness. That looks delicious. How Martha Stewart of you! Can I be like you when I grow up? [I think I am older than you, though
]
This is something I am definitely going to try!
Thank you for linking up with Try and Tell.
I’ll be 39 in May… I’m not exactly sure how that happened and since I’m still trying to have babies, I’m kinda in denial!
That looks so much easier than I would have imagined!! Hurray for chocolate syrup!
And thank you for linking up and sharing with Tuesdays At The Table.
AMEN for Chocolate!
Wowie this looks good!
This is awesome!! My kids will love it!
I was JUST thinking the other day that I really wanted some chocolate milk, but we’re trying to get away from processed foods here too, so I didn’t want to buy chocolate syrup and I was wondering if I could make it myself. Thanks for sharing this – looks great! Can’t wait to try it. And LOVE the bottle!
thanks! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have… it’s delish!
Ok…..I am sure my children are going to tell me to stop sending them blogs but I can’t stop reading yours and passing them on. Love this stuff.
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