Hidden Treasure

After returning from two weeks of business travel, I came home to a sparkling clean house compliments from my husband.  Inspired by his wonderful deed, I continued where he left off with dusting.  Upon dusting the tins in the kitchen, I came across a heavy tin.  Since these are traditionally decorative, I could not remember what would be in them.  Low and beyond, it was two types of  Moctuzuma Table Chocolates.  What a lovely find.
Made by Chocolatera Moctuzuma S.A. DE C.V., this company has been making tablet chocolates since 1940 in Uruapan, Michoacán.

Unfortunately, the other tin wasn't so pleasant.  It contained various types of gourmet marshmallows that looked exceptionally scary.  These were the goodies I was trying to hide from my husband last year and save for myself.  But I forgot my hiding place.  I guess this is what I get for not sharing :)  'Tis the season!

It's not always about the hot chocolate

  

Just wanted to share the 1-year adoption anniversary of our puppy Wally.  Although he is no longer a puppy since he is 2+ years old, he is our baby nonetheless. 

We celebrated with doggie cupcakes and treats! 

Treats from Barker Street Bakery in The Woodlands, Texas



Chip, our 92 lb 8-month old German Shepherd, participated in the festivities as well!



Chip and Wally playing outside



Wally tired out from the festivities



Milk Frothing Made Easy

Just added the Breville Electric Milk Frother to my birthday and holiday wish list.  This little stainless steel beauty stirs and froths milk while using induction heating. Dishwasher-safe and easy to clean, the Breville Frother eliminates the need to use a double-boiler or microwave to heat milk for hot chocolate creations or Vanilla Steamers.  Exclusive to Williams-Sonoma.com, the frother retails for $160.00.

Tribeca Treats: Hot Cocoa Recipe

Easy instructions from Tribeca Treats for hot cocoa on dailycandy.com

Farewell Original Hershey Chocolate Factory

The home of the Hershey's Kiss is closing it's doors after breaking ground in 1903.  Although chocolate production will continue at a newly built modern facility nearby, Milton Hershey's dreams came to life at this iconic location.

Toot, Toot! All a board a Vanilla Steamer!

With all the travel I've been doing lately, it's sad when airport security recognizes me in line.  Every airport has 50 billion Starbucks and I've become one of those sleepy eyed travelers waiting in line for a pick up me up.  However, it is the Vanilla Steamers with whip (whipped cream) I crave, not coffee.  It is eaiser to have these cravings when someone else is footing the bill.  So, when I am no longer traveling, the budget gourmet in me kicks in.

Here is my own spin on Vanilla Steamers:

1 cup Milk
1 tbls Honey
1/2 tbls Vanilla

I've made this two different ways:

Option 1 -

1.  Blend ingredients in a double boiler over low/medium heat until heated through

2.  Pour into a mug 

3.  Use a handeld frother to add volume

Option 2 -

1.  Blend ingredients in a mug

2.  Microwave for 45 seconds and remove from microwave

3.  Use a handheld frother to mix and add volume

4.  Microwave again for 1 minute

5.  Remove from microwave and froth one last time with frother

It's all about the cupcake

Alright chefs-in-the-making.  Scharffen Berger's Chocolate Adventure Contest is back!  This year's theme is chocolate and cupcakes.  An award winning recipe will get you $20,000 prizes.  The contest entry period ends January 2, 2011. 

Instant Crumble Desserts

Everyone knows I love Crumble desserts.  Apple Crumbles, Blueberry Crumbles, Raspberry Crumbles and so on.  All are amazingly delicious and relatively easy to make.  Originally, I was using a pre-made mix with cinnamon, sugar and oatmeal to make my crumbles. 

Howevever, I realized that using a flavored Oatmeals such as Quaker Instant Oatmeal adds a lot of flavor to a Crumble.  So,  I  decided to use one package of an Instant Oatmeal, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tbls of butter chopped into pieces and blended with a fruit of choice.  For this recipe, I used the French Vanilla Instant Oatmeal and one Granny Smith Apple per bag of oatmeal. Fresh whipping cream sweetened with honey was made to enhance to experience.

One Granny Smith Apple per packet of oatmeal.

Peel and cut the apple into small pieces.

Blend, oatmeal, butter pieces and cinnamon together.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Whipped up heavy cream with honey.

The final product.

Absolutely yummy!

Sweet scientific discovery in the world of chocolate

DNA sequencing for healthier chocolate on CNN.com

Low calorie hot chocolate recipes

Everyone should be able to drink hot chocolate!

Dagoba Saves the Day

Due to spending the last 2-1/2 months non-stop in airports, I've developed a craving for Starbuck's Vanilla Steamers.  Do not fret.  I am still obsessed with Hot Chocolate.  However, I've come to appreciate Starbuck's Vanilla Steamers.  After running my errands, I decided to lazily drive through the drive thru of my local Starbuck's location.  I ordered my favorite combo:  A tall Vanilla Steamer and a blueberry scone.  In my excitement, I decided to order a Grande Steamer versus the Tall.  Yahoo!  This was going to be a wonderful day.

Unfortunately, the scones were already gone.  However, the associate helping me found a blueberry muffin.  SCORE!  After paying for my order,  I hastily took off without sipping my drink.  I just assumed the beverage was correct since the cup was labeled Vanilla Creme.  Oh my joy was stolen when I arrived at the house to heat up my muffin and enjoy my Steamer.  Yuck!  It was a Vanilla Mocha. 

I tried and tried to indulge in this beverage, but anything with coffee traditionally is just horrible for me.  So, it was off to the pantry to select a Hot Chocolate to quench my thirst for something delicious. 

The chosen hot chocolate of the day is Dagoba's Authentic Hot Chocolate.  As an aficionado of their Xocolatl spicy hot chocolate, I knew this selection would be just as fabulous.

The Authentic Hot Chocolate has a subtle blend of flavors leaving a wonderful essence in your mouth. 

It blended together fine, but required a few extra turns of the spoon in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction to ensure the cocoa powder and milk was mixed together.

In the end, Dagoba saved the day.

Hot Chocolate: Ainsley's Gourmet Express

Watch the BBC's Ainsley Harriott make hot chocolate with cinnamon, cardamon, milk and a bar of chocolate.

Bellissimo Houston

Minuti Coffee landed in downtown Houston.  Located on 909 Texas, Minuti Coffee serves up Italian coffee, espresso along with an array of other speciality drinks, baked goods, sandwiches and paninis.  The speciality drink that caught my attention is the Cioco Delice.  Made with Molinari chocolate steamed with milk to create a thick drinking beverage the Cioco Delice is, most likely, what many refer to as a European Drinking Chocolate.  Served with a dollop of whipped cream, the Cioco Delice can be enhanced with a dash of Mayan, Hazelnut and Chocolate Truffle flavors.

It appears a trip downtown is in order to investigate this Italian hot chocolate experience.

Our Independence Brunch!

Wow!  Time flys when you travel like a mad woman!  Many fun adventures occurred since my last post so I have a lot to share.  First and foremost, Happy Independence Day!  For this year's celebration, I am sharing our splendid crepe brunch:

My crepe recipe consists of:

3 Eggs

1 cup Horchata Milk (yes, I am still on that kick)

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

3/4 Flour

Steps:

1.  Beat eggs until frothy

2.  Add remaining ingredients and blend well

3.  Let batter rest for 30 minutes

4.  Heat 10" nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat

5.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan and swirl to coat bottom

6.  Cook until golden around edges. Flip over and cook briefly. Plate

My crepe filling:

2 tbsp Unsalted Butter

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Strawberries, sliced

Steps:

1.  Add  butter to another skillet over medium-high heat.

2.  Add sugar and cook until bubbly (about 1 minute)

3.  Add Strawberries and stir

4.  Cook through for another 2 to 4 minutes

5.  Remove from heat

6.  Add mixture to crepes.  Fold in half

Topping:

1 cup Strawberries, sliced

1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (our favorite is Leonardo e Roberto's Traditional Balsamic Vinegar)

1 tbsp Confectioners' Sugar

Steps:

1.  Toss strawberries and vinegar together

2.  Coat mixture with sugar

3.  Chill for 1 hr in refrigerator.  Toss again

4.  Garnish crepes with mixture and powdered sugar

Along with the crepes, I served an pre-made eggs, potatoes, sausage and cheese skillet along with our favorite yogurt (Le Creme Vanilla Yougurt) coated with the balsamic marinated strawberries.

Indulge and Enjoy everyone!

Forget green beer! Give me an Irish hot chocolate

Today, I celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a mug of Gourmet du Village's Irish Cream Hot Chocolate.  When an instant hot chocolate is desired, I reach for Gourmet du Village or Ghirardelli.  This was exciting since I never tasted an Irish Cream drink before...not even a shot!

After heating up the milk and adding the hot chocolate packet, I stirred the mixture.  A nice creme layer appeared.  Yum.  I proceed to the backyard to sit out and savor my cup of heaven.

The first sip was very fulfilling and the creme layer added lift to the beverage.  I must say, I will keep a few packets of this one in my cupboards.

Penguins need cocoa too

Checkout this iPhone and iPod Touch App called Rocket Downhill Penguin. Help a penguin navigate obstacles on a ski slope by filling him up with cocoa. Can you say cute! A game that requires cocoa as fuel.

Ended up with tea

As usual, I just wasn't in the mood for an off the shelf hot chocolate. So, I opted to try and create a delish hot chocolate made with passion and care by me. My first attempted involved using 1/2 cup of orange juice and 1/2 cup of milk. Unfortunately, the hint of OJ became overwhelming and I couldn't balance it out with Vanilla, Sugar or anything else.

STRIKE 1

My second attempt involved my last cup of heavy cream. I accidentally burnt the chocolate shavings in the double boiler. Immediately, I strained out the burnt chunks to preserve the heavy cream for another try.

STRIKE 2

With the heavy cream from the second attempt to make hot chocolate from scratch, I decided to add a pre-made mixture to the cream. Next, I tried to add a little pizazz with ancho chili. Blah!!!!! It was a hot mess.

STRIKE 3

After cleaning up the messy kitchen, I resigned myself to breaking out the tea kettle for a cup of hot tea.

Recipe: Apple Cranberry Crumble with Hot Chocolate Shavings

Had a little fun in the kitchen creating a fast and easy Apple Cranberry Crumble garnished with homemade whipped cream.

Recipe - 4 servings:
1/3 cup Apple Crisp Mix (from Concord Foods)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled
1/4 cup Dried cranberries
1 bag Plain regular instant oatmeal

3 tsp Hot chocolate shavings (used Fran's Chocolate Shavings for this recipe)
3 tbls Sweet butter/butter
Heavy cream
Sugar


Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend the Apple Crisp Mix, hot chocolate shavings and oatmeal in a bowl.

Step 2: Peel and dice apples and add cranberries to a bowl. Add apple crisp mixture and blend.




Step 3: Pour apple mixture in a greased baking dish.

Step 4: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.


Step 5: Serve in decorative dishes.


Step 6: Whip 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Add sugar to taste.


Step 7: Garnish with whipped cream.

Hot chocolate on the run

The Plaza in New York is offering hot chocolate in Thermos. For $19.00, you'll receive 15 ounces of hot chocolate of your choice in a decorative Thermos. The hot chocolate selections include cinnamon, orange and port. Visit the bartender in the Oak Bar to purchase your hot chocolate on the run.

Last Chance Foods: City Bakery's Hot Chocolate Festival

Target's own hot chocolate

Who knew Target had a love affair with hot chocolate. They had quite a selection of instant hot chocolates to choose from (Mint, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Amaretto).

Give me a Z for Zippy!

My apologies for obsessing about Horchata. However, I must say a quick Colombian Hot Chocolate made in a blender turned into a family love affair. I selected SOL Chocolate de Mesa con Azucar Morena or Table Chocolate with Brown Sugar from Columbia to make a hot chocolate with Horchata.

Since table chocolate has a grainer texture than our typical American chocolates, I always use a blender for simplified blending. After one square of the SOL chocolate was cut, I heated the Horchata in the microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds. Next, I added the Horchata and the SOL chocolate to the blender and hit the pulse button a few times. Tada! Instant frothy hot chocolate. I poured my frothy blend into a mug and placed it in the microwave for another minute.

Immensely pleased with the combination of zippy flavors, I proceeded to enjoy a second cup. When my husband came in, he indulged in a cup of this Colombian brew.


Horchata and SOL Chocolate de Mesa con Azucar Morena has officially become a household favorite!

Recipe:
1 cup Horchata
1 tablet of Central/South American or Spanish Chocolate (SOL is preferred)

Happy Valentine's Day

What's on menu at The City Bakery

In February, everyday is a hot chocolate day at New York's The City Bakery's Hot Chocolate Festival:

Monday, February 1: Lemon Hot Chocolate
Tuesday, February 2: Chile Pepper Hot Chocolate
Wednesday, February 3: Chinese Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
Thursday, February 4: Espresso Hot Chocolate
Friday, February 5: Ginger Hot Chocolate
Saturday, February 6: Banana Peel Hot Chocolate
Sunday, February 7: Caramel Hot Chocolate
Monday, February 8: Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate
Tuesday, February 9: Earl Grey Tea Hot Chocolate
Wednesday, February 10: Introducing….Moulin Rouge Hot Chocolate!
Thursday, February 11: Tropical Hot Chocolate
Friday, February 12: Bourbon Hot Chocolate
Saturday, February 13: Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Sunday, February 14: Love Potion Hot Chocolate
Monday, February 15: Vietnamese Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
Tuesday, February 16: Hi Ho Pistachio Hot Chocolate
Wednesday, February 17: Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Thursday, February 18: Darkest Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Friday, February 19: Creamy Stout Hot Chocolate
Saturday, February 20: Happy Hot Chocolate
Sunday, February 21: Sunken Treasure Hot Chocolate
Monday, February 22: Ginger Hot Chocolate
Tuesday, February 23: Arabian Nights Hot Chocolate (read how Rubin wrestles with this one here)
Wednesday, February 24: Ode to the Polar Bear Hot Chocolate
Thursday, February 25: Beer + Brown Sugar Hot Chocolate
Friday, February 26: Shangri-La Hot Chocolate
Saturday, February 27: Banana Peel Hot Chocolate
Sunday, February 28: Festival Finale TBD