http://getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-ever-hot-cocoa-mix.html

http://getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-ever-hot-cocoa-mix.html

Mexican Hot Chocolate – Everyday Food Blog – MarthaStewart.com

Mexican Hot Chocolate – Everyday Food Blog – MarthaStewart.com

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One large hot chocolate....please!

The American Dairy Association & Dairy Council unveiled the World's Largest Mug of Hot Chocolate in New York's Bryant Park yesterday. The 487 gallon mug of hot chocolate weighed over 4,180 pounds. The American Dairy Association & Dairy Council wanted to remind everyone the importance of increasing their Vitamin D intake by drinking Milk during the Winter months.

Cocoa for Christian

Local Houstonian children sell hot cocoa to help a friend battling stage four lymphoma. Money from the hot cocoa sale will help the family with expenses related to their son's treatment. Good luck kids and happy holidays! :>

Kansas Hot Chocolate Spots

Kansas, aka the Sunflower State, is the 34th state to enter the union as a free state of the United States on January 29, 1861. Famous residents of Kansas include, former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart and educator, inventor and scientist George Washington Carver.

Now, Kansas is known for a few top spots for hot chocolate.

5) Phillips 66/Conoco...yes, the gas station!
4) Cosentino's Market Downtown
3) You Say Tomato
​2) Andre's Confiserie Suisse
1) Christopher Elbow

Top hot chocolate from around the world

Ready, Set, Travel! Planning on taking a trip this holiday season? Make sure to stop by one of the top places to have hot chocolate during your world travels. nextstop.com lists the Best Places to Eat or Drink: Hot Chocolate Around the World.

Confused in San Francisco

My 9 to 5 has brought be back to Mt. View again. But for this trip, I had a hidden agenda. It was time to cross another one of US Today News top 10 places to have hot chocolate off the list.

So far, I’ve already been to Jean Philippe Patisserie in Las Vegas and Ceiba in Washington DC. Since I was arriving a day early, it was the perfect time to try Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Due to an earlier arrival time than expected, I couldn’t check into my hotel. Which meant this excursion was really justified as I had nothing really to do for four hours. With my MapQuest directions in hand, I headed off to Tartine Bakery.

As usual, I got a little lost along the way and ended up near 3rd and Mission. Trying to find parking was a mess, but I found a parking lot near the St. Regis Hotel. I didn’t know how far I was from the bakery so I placed a call. CRAP! They are off of 18th street. I had 15 more blocks to go. Good thing I always travel with comfy shoes. I started to hoof it down the road, but I noticed they had buses that run along Mission.

Perfect! I hoped on the bus with a man shooting to the world and gesturing to the invisible man next to him. This will be a very interesting day. Getting a little nervous when the bus started to turn, I pulled the string to hop off. I was thinking I was going the wrong direction. I felt even sillier when I couldn’t figure out how to exit the bus. The driving was yelling for me to get on the step, which triggers the doors to open. Geez… This hot chocolate better be good.

Mission St. actually curves around, which meant I could have stayed on the bus. Oh well. I continued walking to Tartine’s enjoying the scenario and taking in the local residents. Once I hit 18th Street, I asked a very friendly local person where 600 Guerrero was located. She graciously gave me directions and I picked up the pace as I was so close to indulgence.

Finally, my eyes were on the prize. I parked myself in line with the other Tartine enthusiasts dreaming what the hot chocolate was going to taste like. The place was packed with patrons. It was exceptionally business, yet organized. When my turn arrived, I ordered 2 shortbread cookies, 1 hot chocolate, a small salad and a croissant to go. As I waited for my order, I sat at the table of a very friendly hot chocolate devotee. Our conversation revolved around the various hot chocolates on the market. I gave her a few recommendations based on the type of chocolates she enjoyed and provided her with my Cocoa Connoisseur business card. I simply love meeting other hot chocolate lovers.

Unfortunately, by the time my ordered arrived I was worried about getting back to the car before it became too dark. I took a few sips of my hot chocolate, but I decided to wait and savor the experience at my hotel. I parked myself at the return bus stop for several minutes….no bus. The digital display said it would be another 15 minutes for a bus to arrive. Forget that, I needed to get going. Again, I was hoofing it back up Mission St. With the recent time change, it becomes darker sooner and I did want to be out of my element at night.

Low and behold when I arrived at 6th Street, the bus passed me by. Drats! I decided to continue walking the last 3 blocks to the parking lot. Really, the things I do for hot chocolate.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, I was too tired to enjoy my hot chocolate. So tonight, I will do so. I am signing off to enjoy my Tartine hot chocolate and a shortbread cookie.

The End of Tin for Cadbury

Cadbury is moving towards eco-friendly packaging. After 70-years of using metal tin packaging for their festive brands, tin is out and square, cardboard boxes are in. Cadbury is waiting for customer feedback on the new designs in preparation for the new design launch.

FDA Alert: Pelican Bay Caramel Hot Chocolate

Pelican Bay Ltd. is recalling all their Caramel Chocolate Truffle Hot Chocolate Mix as it may contain undeclared tree nuts. No illnesses have been reported to date. The hot chocolate subject to this recall was distributed between January 2007 and November 2, 2009.

The Caramel Chocolate Truffle Hot Chocolate Mix is packaged in a cone shape poly bag with a hanging tag attached to the front of the package and SKU# 3204, UPC 94522 01015 on the back of the label.

Consumers who have purchased Pelican Bay LTD's Caramel Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa Mix should call 1-800-826-8982, 9AM to 5 PM EST for information on product returns and replacement.

For information on the recall go to fda.gov

Mint-a-licious hot chocolate

We have a new hot chocolate addition: The King's Cupboard Mint Hot Chocolate

Recipe Alert: Divine Intervention

Last night I was craving a white hot chocolate. That was extremely odd since I am not a white chocolate fan. As I pulled the ingredients to try a make a creamy white chocolate drinking beverage I couldn't find the white chocolate. I bet you the gremlin called my husband probably got to it when I was on a business trip. If so, he has improved his chocolate sneaking skills as I didn't catch on until it was too late. So, I changed my plans. My goal was to go deep and dark.

Making hot chocolate can no longer can be a messy adventure. We have a new dog now named Wally that we picked him up from a shelter a few weeks back. He is an absolute hoot! So, I must make sure to measure my chocolate/cocoa in the sink because chocolate/cocoa is not good for dogs.My inspiration lead me to retrieve Valrhona Cacao Powder, heavy cream, Mexican Vanilla, lemon curd, nutmeg, cinnamon and fine baker's sugar. I didn't have a clue where this was going to take me. But I was ready to get crackin'.

In the end, I created a dreamy dark drinking chocolate with Valrhona cacao powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. My husband gave it a "10" and asked why "I didn't make more". Unfortantely, I only had 3/4 cup of heavy cream so this adventure came out to be very positive. Before we shared our lone glass of drinking chocolate, I decided to take a picture of this delectable creation.

Another star in the cocoa lady's hat for this one!
Divine Drinking Chocolate(Click here for a copy of my drinking chocolate recipe)

No amore for this hot cocoa

Today’s Hot Chocolate is Cocoa Amore’s Peanut Butter Brownie Cocoa Mix. First, I read the ingredients in preparation of today’s hot cocoa. Yikes! It’s has tri’s and di’s along with non-dairy creamer being the first ingredient of this mix. With that in mind, my expectations were reset.

After reviewing the directions, I appreciate them stating it will take a little work to blend this hot cocoa mix. Some mixes take forever for the liquid to adhere to the cocoa/chocolate and you are sitting their drooling waiting for that magic moment to take place.

After tearing open the packet, I poured the whitish powder with a speckle of brown into a foam cup. A slight whiff of peanuts poured into the air thus lifting my spirits a bit. Upon adding the hot water, I began to stir. Over time, the mixture darkened up and began to form a thicker consistency. Excellent! It is tasting time.

I took my first sip….Uhhh! Strange…I took another sip and decided “I’ll pass”. Darn it! I really needed hot cocoa today :<

Recipe Alert: Key Lime Spiced Hot Cocoa

I've been on a roll this week. I believe the trip to World Market Cost Plus over the weekend jump started a hot chocolate creating frenzy. Nonetheless, I picked up a World Market brand of Key Lime Seasoning during my recent shopping trip. This seasoning contains lime juice powder, lime peel, white pepper, black pepper, ginger, thyme, onion, garlic, cinnamon, mustard, mace, nutmeg, cayenne and all spice.

Now, I know many of would think, "why in the world would you make hot cocoa with that?" But of course I think, "why not"? One of my favorite hot chocolates is Xocolatl by Dagoba which contains chilies and cinnamon and another previously popular hot chocolate at our store was Green & Black's Maya Gold Hot Chocolate which contained ground cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and orange peel. Unfortunately, Green & Black discontinued their product last year which left a void in the spicy hot chocolate market.

Nonetheless, this hot cocoa recipe would definitely be one a Xocolatl or Maya Gold connoisseur would like, or at least I hope. If you want a sugary sweet hot cocoa, this is not for you!

Key Lime Spiced Hot Cocoa (Click here for a pdf copy of the recipe)

Yield: 1 Serving

Ingredients:

3/4 c Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Key Lime Seasoning

3 tsp Cocoa Powder

1- ½ tbls Sugar

Preparation:

1. Heat Milk and Vanilla Extract in a double-boiler over medium/low heat.

1. Whisk in Key Lime Seasoning, Cocoa Powder and Sugar. Bring to a simmer, but do not boil.
2. Continue to stir mixture until smooth and hot.
3. Use a strainer when pouring the hot cocoa mixture in to a mug. Garnish and serve.

Personally, I found this recipe to be quite very savory. The blend of sweetness and spice lingers in your month. Since it is made with cocoa powder, the consistency is lighter which allows you to focus on the various bursts of flavor. After a few sips, I thought to myself, "not bad".

Indulge & Enjoy!

It looks real...

OK. So I have a slight obsession with kitchen gadgets this week. But this expense was justified! The other half broke my travel mug and as everyone knows I must have my hot chocolate on the run.

I picked up this faux disposable mug at Bed, Bath and Beyond. The Copco To Go Cup is reusable, BPA free and is double walled for enhanced insulation. Best of all, it is dishwasher and microwave safe. It costs $7.99, but you can get it for less with that 20% coupon Bed, Bath and Beyond sends out each week.

It's all in the measurements

The other half accidently broke my ounce measuring cup a few weeks back. Trying to convert cup measurements to ounces makes me crazy, so a shopping excursion was in order to replace the broken measuring cup.

After a trip to Crate and Barrel, I came home with two new toys: Adjust-a-Cup and Mini Measure. I can't wait to use these new gadgets this weekend on a new hot chocolate recipe.

Hidden behind the coffee

While searching the pantry for the hot chocolate of the day, I came across Café-Tasse’s Chocolat en Poudre or chocolate powder. This instant hot chocolate from Belgium is made with 32% cocoa and sugar. We used to carry this hot chocolate at our online store. However, it didn’t have a strong following. My husband uses the posted-dated hot chocolate to make mochas.

I forgot about this hot chocolate so it was a pleasant surprise to find this box. The cocoa powder has a reddish-brown tint with a sprinkle of white sugar crystals. The pet peeve I have with European hot chocolate mixes is that they rarely have directions placed on the box. So, I opted to use one heaping tablespoon of hot chocolate, filled my glass mug half way up with milk and hoped for the best!

After using the microwave to heat up my hot chocolate, I poured the beverage in a travel mug and headed to the office.

Once I settled in at my desk, it was time to drink up. Amazing! I forgot how lovely this hot chocolate was and how disappointed others have yet to appreciate it. It’s a robust instant chocolate with a splash of sugar. Very nice and very pleasurable!

Orange Ginger Hot Chocolate

Yield: 1 Serving of Orange Ginger Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

¼ c 90% Dark Chocolate Bar

½ c Milk

¼ c Orange Juice

3 tbls Crystallized Ginger Root

Preparation:

1. Chop the 90% Dark Chocolate into smaller pieces.
2. Place the chocolate shavings into a double-boiler over medium/low heat until it is completely melts.
3. Whisk in Orange Juice, Milk and Ginger. Bring to a simmer, but do not boil.
4. Continue to stir mixture until smooth and hot.
5. Use a strainer when pouring the hot chocolate mixture in to a mug. Garnish and serve.

Today's hot chocolate: Fran's Premium Hot Chocolate

Seeking a little pick me up this evening, I decided it was time to enjoy a cup of chocolate. The selection of the evening was Fran's Premium Hot Chocolate made here in the USA with 100% Venezuelan chocolate. Founded by Fran Bigelow, this hot chocolate received the 2007 Sofi Award (formerly the NASFT Food Award) for Outstanding Hot Beverage.

It's been a while since I pulled out the double boiler, but I was ready. Although the directions said to add the chocolate to heated milk, I chose to melt the chocolate first. Ah! It was beautiful.

Now it was time to enjoy...opps... I added a little too much milk. Since the other half broke my ounce measuring cup, my measurements have been a little off lately. Dare I say a shopping trip is in order? :>

The hot chocolate was optimum balance of chocolate and sweetness. I gave my husband a sip and he said "it's too watery". If the non-cocoa connoisseur makes that statement, you know I added too much milk. Well, I kept on drinking my cup of chocolate and after that we had fun licking the chocolate off the spoon. What a way to close the evening.

Get your creative juices flowin'

It's that time of year again! Scharffen Berger just announced the return of The Chocolate Adventure Content. Last year, I tried to get my creative juices flowin' by creating a new recipe for the contest. However, I @#$ near made myself sick trying to be "exotic". Since I learned about the contest late in the game, I didn't have the opportunity to bounce back from my creative mishap. But this year, I will be ready!

And of course my inspiration will center around hot chocolate...

Stick with dark hot chocolate

With the recent passing of National Chocolate Milk Day on September 27, 2009, the FDA recall of hot chocolates made with powdered milk and the Food Navigator – USA reporting that Nestle purchases 10 to 15 percent of their milk from a farm owned/seized by Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, I believe everyone is better off with drinking dark hot chocolate.

Need I say more?

Try, try again...

With another trip back home underneath my belt, I am festering over the disappointment of missing out on churros (opps! a "Spanish fritter") and hot chocolate from Xooro in Santa Monica.

Yes, they are known for their "Spanish fritters". However, I was drooling to try one of their three hot chocolates on the menu: Mexican Hot Chocolate, Dulce de Leche White Hot Chocolate and Premium Spanish Hot Chocolate.

Although this opportunity was missed, I had the chance to enjoy the eclectic vibe of 3rd Street Promenade.

Cravin' Crepes

Yes! I am back in California for a few days. As usual, I must try to dine on all the wonderful delicacies around the LA area. My first stop since landing last night is Cafe Crepe in Santa Monica.

My sister noticed the restaurant during a recent visit to the 3rd Street Promenade H & M. It looked tempting during her trip, so she recommended it for today's lunch. We restricted ourselves to crepes only as both of us are on a very tight budget. However, since their prices were quite reasonable we had the option of splurging on other items, if we wished. I chose a half Mixed Greens Organic Salad with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, and a crepe with strawberries and sugar.

The salad was extremely fresh and the simple blend on Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar was scrumptious. The mix greens were laid on a bed of fresh tomatoes slices creating a tangy combination.

But the grand finale was (drum roll please)... a delicious crepe stuffed with fresh strawberries and topped with a dash of sugar. I was simply amazed how tasty the crepe was without the strawberries. Normally, crepes are garnished with powdered sugar, whipped cream etc. to accent the crepes flavor. However, my sister and I both agree this crepe was absolutely divine by itself. The strawberries purely accented the crepe's delicious flavor.

My sister and I both agree we will be back!

Microwave Chocolate Explosion

So, the chocolate beverage of the morning was Valor Taza to Go. Valor Taza to Go is the next generation drinking chocolate that arrived on the scene last year. It replaced one of the top selling drinking chocolates I had on my shelves, Valor CAO. The liquid form provides two cups of drinking chocolate. The downfall is that once you open the container you must indulge in the second cup within five days and the packaging lacks a closure to keep it sealed until your next cup.

I was already cranky from being up since 4:00 am this morning and I just knew a wicked cup of chocolate would whip me out of this funky mood. Upon opening the package, I poured the extremely thick drinking chocolate into a mug. It looked just like the pudding. The good thing is that I am accustomed to the thick texture as one of my favorite drinking chocolates was Mandarian a la Taza. To my dismay it is discontinued.

Valor has been making chocolate for over 125 years. We all know that in Spain, chocolates are done right! I didn't realize that Valor CAO was discontinued until I started receiving large orders of 5 and 10 units per order. Unfortunately, I had to call the last Valor CAO customer to let them know the cacao powder was officially gone. It was lights out for another popular hot chocolate.

Since I was preparing to donate the short-dated Taza to Go inventory, it provided the perfect opportunity to try a new drinking chocolate.

When I placed the mug into the microwave, I didn't pay attention to the time I entered. When the timer went off, I was preparing to dive in to some deep, rich chocolate. Upon opening the microwave door, I saw a hot chocolate mess. It looked like a glass chocolate molten cake. If my husband was home, he would probably use his finger to capture every last drop of this chocolate explosion.

After wiping up around the mug, I took a tiny sip. Wow! Way too hot. I waited for it to cool down a bit. Attempt number two was much better, however, I was like "hmmm". Attempt number three confirmed, this was not a drinking chocolate for me. Just to be sure, I will try it again as my over "nuking" make have contributed to the beverage's taste.

Next Gen Abuelita

A new spin on a traditional Mexican Hot chocolate. Try a free sample of Nestle's new Abuelita Granulado.

Dreyer's Slow Churned Hot Cocoa Ice Cream

Oh my! Dreyer's has announced a slow churned limited edition Hot Cocoa Ice Cream for the holiday season! How did I miss this announcement? Has anyone tried it yet?

Hot Chocolate of the Day: Maltesers

On one of my many shopping excursions for hot chocolates, cocoas or drinking chocolates, I came across a few interesting selections at World Market, which specializes in gourmet foods and unique items from around the world. One of my finds was Maltesers, a single serving instant hot chocolate from the UK. Maltesers is manufactured by Mars, Incorporated, or the company that makes the legendary Snickers candy bar, Twix and Skittles. Although this product is primarily for the UK market, it is equivalent to the very popular Swiss Miss hot chocolate here in the states.
With that in mind, I prepared myself to try a hot chocolate with what I call the "tri's and di's" or any beverage with large fancy names that we neglected to remember after high school or college chemistry. The bottom line is that Maltesers is not a pure chocolate beverage but potentially an enjoyable one for many.

Since I was running late to work and my boss was flying in preparation for another Release to Design meeting for the next release of the product line I manage (...you know my side job), I took my Maltesers single serving packet with "only 99 calories per serving" to the office. The instant chocolate mix contains milk, soy and barley gluten so any one allergic to anyone of those ingredients should take heed to the product alert.

Upon opening the packet and pouring the contents into a cup, I was surprised at the faint brown color. The mix was primarily cream or white....interesting. I knew this was be milk chocolate beverage but I was surprised by how light the coloring was of the mix. After mixing the contents with water, I proceeded to take a few pictures of this tasting (and hoped my co-workers do not walk in on my obsession with hot chocolate in the office kitchen). I returned to my office to savor the experience, or at least prepare my taste buds for a new experience. On the first taste, I immediately thought it was bitter. The beverage deepened in color by this time and the aroma was a mixture of Ovaltine and Carnation's Malt Mix. Uhh! Duh! This beverage is a parody of the UK version of Whopers called "Maltesers".

After a few more sips, the flavor began to wear on me as I became acclimated to the malted hot chocolate. Would I enjoy this again? Once in a while. I've become enamored of true hot chocolate thus instant mixes have become quite distasteful to me. However, I do prefer Maltesers over other common instant hot chocolates such as Swiss Miss or Carnations.

Blasted Tea Toddlers

After sweating to death on our girl power family walk around the Pasadena Rose Bowl, it was time to eat. Even as hot as it was, I wanted to try Zona Rosa Caffe's to see what their hot chocolate was like. However, I was overruled by my tea toddling family members.

Once we changed out of our walking clothes, we were off to tea. My mother and sister, the girly ones out of the family, enjoy having tea at the Tea Rose Garden. As we turned onto Raymond Avenue, a tear appeared in my eye as my husband and I use to live off of Raymond and walk around in the vicinity for groceries, dining and entertainment. Oh well. We will return again...one day.

Still fuming from missing my sole opportunity for a hot chocolate adventure, I participated in my first tea experience. I ordered the English Tea which includes a scone, tea and finger sandwich of your choice, along with a petal salad, fresh fruit and rose sugar cookie. My sandwich of choice was the Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Sandwich. As for my tea, I selected the Berry Passion Tea and a Lemon Raspberry Scone.

I must admit, I enjoyed myself. We all ordered different sandwiches and scones so we could share our tea house treats. My Lemon Raspberry Scone ranked 1st among us girls and my favorite sandwich was my sister's Cranberry Chicken Sandwich.

This was absolutely an enjoyable experience. Normally, I would be fixating over the fact I did not have the opportunity to try a new hot chocolate. However, I will definitely get over it...this time!

The End Result

Tada! Here is my instant chocolate custard made with Bird's Custard Powder and Venchi's cacao due vecchi from Italy. Since I am in California, my husband is enjoying this custard without me. After following the recipe, I placed the dessert in the refrigerator to firm up. By adding a some cacao to a instant recipe gave this traditional dessert a little flare. Yum!