I need to make hot chocolate at my bonfire party in vast quantities! I need help!

[nowwearefour]

Firstly, with around 100 guests of which around half are children, how many people should i aim to make hot chocolate for? I am doing mulled wine too (just for the adults!). i am assuming some adults will prefer hot chocolate to mulled wine and so i am not sure whether to do hot chocolate for say 70? or more? and then, how do i make it? i have an AGA and some big pans but do i make a paste with an entire tub of hot chocolate and milk and then gradually add milk, warming and stirring? or should i do it differently?

Do I know you?

I'm not sure making it in advance is a good idea as the hot chocolate might settle to the bottom and the milk might skin over. I don't really know what to suggest to do instead though!!

Or are you planning to serve it immediately?

Do you have a slow cooker? That would work really well....

You are having 100 guests?

Are you Kate Middleton?

i am not Kate Middleton, i just have a large enough (outdoor) space to accommodate that many people (and i may have had a glass of wine when i sent out the invitation flier!). i do plan to serve this immediately and i do have a slow cooker, and an AGA. how long should i 'cook' it for in the slowcooker, stealth? trixy- did you receive an invitation?! i didnt plan to make it too far in advance but do need to have it ready!

can we come?

Ah, I haven't had an invitation flyer, but I have had an invitation to a rather large fireworks party on Saturday and they have an AGA!

get some squirty cream to put on the top, and let them do it themselves

all the dcs at the party will talk about it forever

the flier was attached to an email so if you received that, then you are welcome! spring- the more, the merrier ! my plan was to ask everyone to bring 1 good firework and so with 40-50 families we should have a reasonably decent display! We also have a large-ish bonfire. i plan to serve sausages in baguettes (butter it yourself and grab a napkin job) and i have ordered 100 doughnuts for pud! and to drink- squash and hot choc for kids and mulled wine for adults. should i serve some beer too? i am hoping people wont stay TOOOOO long as most are bringing young children....????

Bizarrely enough I am sure there is a recipe in my slow cooker book - I think I looked at it and thought "FFS - hot chocolate - call that a recipe?" - I shall go and look when I have dispatched a couple of DC in the general direction of bed.

hot choc - why not buy the instant stuff (Cadbury Highlights or similar) that you make up with water? put the 3 tsps in the bottom of (presumably disposable if you are catering for that many) cups in advance, have several kettles on the go and just add boiling water and a stirrer to the cups when ready.

Going on from Panda's suggestion, my local Poundstretcher does it already dosed out in little plastic cups - think vending machine - 6 or 8 for 99p. I keep some in the campervan. Keep the kettle boiled, or borrow a load of stove top ones and pop them on the aga, then just add water as required

Marshmallows for the top and/or toasting on long sticks may be required!

I'd get the 'just add water' type too I think and then make it look fancier with squirty cream/chocolate shavings/marshmallows.

Jeez though - 100 people - I'm having about 8 of ds1's pals over for a few sparklers and I'm already a nervous wreck at the prospect of putting one of their eyes out with a rocket. You have made me feel much better.

OK, I was clearly hallucinating the hot choc "recipe" in the slow cooker book, but it does have one for mulled wine - which says 2 hours, so I imagine that is how long a slow cooker takes to heat itself up when full of liquid. What made me think of slow cooker is that the hotel we stayed at in Mexico had hot chocolate on the breakfast buffet in one of those warmer things - it didn't seem to skin over too badly.

As for quantities - say 50 DC, ~20cl each (assuming paper cups and some room for cream) means 10 litres of hot chocolate. I am not sure how much my slow cooker holds, but I am not convinced it is that much - so maybe a huge pot on the back of the aga would be a better bet?

i would try and get hold of catering flasks where it pumps and people can help themselves to tea coffee and chocolate.

ooooh stealth- could i have the mulled wine recipe? i am failing to find any shop bought stuff. i am def going for slow cooker recipes for both (i HATE the watered down hot choc!) and have one for hot choc now but would love one for mulled wine.... this way it can stay warm for whomever wants and whenever!

maryz- have you tried making it in a slow cooker before wtih milk? as you have experience i am v keen to listen to you but just wonderingn if the slowcooker thing makes a difference?

I will look out the recipe when I get home, OP, but I should probably warn you that it is an American book

stealth- all the recipes are american! if you have it, it would be wonderful!

Sorry, nowwearefour, this is probably too late (pesky RL got in the way, big time):

2 bottles red wine
1 lemon
1 orange, sliced
4 tbsp sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of mixed spice
4 tbsp brandy

preheat slow cooker for 20 mins, chuck in wine, zest and juice of lemon, and everything else except brandy. Cover and cook for 2 hours. Add brandy and serve (I paraphrase slightly )

thanks stealth. i found one v similar to that one and it was yummy!

hope all ok with you stealth btw- and it was good RL tings, not bad RL things

Yes, good RL things - birthdays and associated cakes, parties, etc - thanks for asking!

I hope the party went well - did you manage to pull off the feeding of the masses?

Thank you yes it went well I think! Sausages in baguettes and doughnuts went down well! Fireworks were all safe and fun too!