Consumer Reports Hot Cocoa Review

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 :<

Stimulate the economy with Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate

With another round of layoffs announced at Starbucks, my husband and I decided to help “stimulate” the economy by walking to our local cafe for hot chocolate. Since neither one of us frequent Starbucks, it is always a comedy of errors when it comes to ordering. But this time, I knew we were there to try the last of the Signature Hot Chocolate trio: Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate. We both ordered a tall (or in my world a small) and took our seat with anticipation of what this recipe will have in store for us.

Now from my last few visits to Starbucks, I enjoyed their Classic Signature Hot Chocolate and passed on the Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate. When our order was called my husband went to retrieve our two cups and we proceeded to take a seat to try our beverage.

In my haste to take a sip, I dropped a little bit of hot chocolate on my pants. Grrrh! Mine was the perfect temperature, with a nice blend of sweet with a hint of salt. Most importantly, no after taste.

Out of three recipes, I rank Starbuck’s Signature Hot Chocolates as follows:

1. Classic Signature Hot Chocolate
2. Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate
3. (a distant 3rd) Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate

I hope our small contribution helped out our local Starbucks as we left the cafe fulfilled from another hot chocolate adventure.

Hot Chocolate vs. Hot Apple Cider

I just came across this adorable video of a little girl doing a taste test of hot chocolate vs. hot apple cider at the ripe old age of 2 years old. She's definitely a Cocoa Connoisseur in the making!

"Hot Chocolate Taste Test"