Fantastic "Old School" Cocoa Recipes

I came across some recipes on a website, from a recommendation on the Chocolate & Zucchini forum, that I just loved and had to share with you. It is for old fashioned Hot Cocoa. The recipe book is The Boston Cooking School Cook Book published in 1896. I have included the recipes below but strongly recommend you visit the Feeding America website to see for yourself some of these amazing books. You can view them in pdf's, as page images (which I think is very cool) and html or xml transcripts. Now I know that this is not strictly Dark Chocolate but there are some great chocolate recipes and these cocoa recipes just made me smile!

"Breakfast Cocoa.

1 1/2 tablespoons prepared cocoa.
2 tablespoons sugar.
2 cups boiling water.
2 cups milk.
Few grains salt.

Scald milk. Mix cocoa, sugar, and salt, dilute with one-half cup boiling water to make smooth paste, add remaining water and boil one minute; turn into scalded milk and beat two minutes, using Dover egg-beater.

Reception Cocoa.

3 tablespoons cocoa.
1/3 cup sugar.
A few grains salt.
4 cups milk.
3/4 cup boiling water.

Scald milk. Mix cocoa, sugar, and salt, adding enough boiling water to make a smooth paste; add remaining water and boil one minute; pour into scalded milk. Beat two minutes, using Dover egg-beater, when froth will form, preventing scum, which is so unsightly; this is known as milling.

Brandy Cocoa.

2 tablespoons cocoa.
1/3 cup sugar.
1 1/2 cups boiling water.
4 cups milk.
3 teaspoons cooking brandy.

Prepare as Reception Cocoa, and add brandy just before milling.

Chocolate.

1 1/2 squares Baker's chocolate.
4 tablespoons sugar.
Few grains salt.
1 cup boiling water.
3 cups milk.

Scald milk. Melt chocolate in small saucepan placed over hot water, add sugar, salt, and gradually boiling water; when smooth, place on range and boil one minute; add to scalded milk, mill, and serve in chocolate cups with whipped cream. One and one-half ounces vanilla chocolate may be substituted for Baker's chocolate; being sweetened, less sugar is required."

Scum really is so unsightly! Anyway I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did and I will have to give one of these a try sometime soon. (I think I'd be going for the Brandy Cocoa if I wasn't a cautious breastfeeding mum! lol!)