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