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Hot Chocolate

A Pretty Unique Recipe for Hot Chocolate!

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There are few things I love more than chocolate. These “things” have names and frequently can be found roaming around my home. Seriously, outside of my family and cats, few things hold my attention or affection as much as chocolate.  Hot chocolate is, as far as I’m concerned, liquid Heaven.  Some people try one hot chocolate recipe and stick with it for life – kind of like they took a hot chocolate vow or something.

While I have my favorite “go to” recipe (it’s the one on the back of Kroger Brand Cocoa – can you say, “Never fail?”), I also love to try as many different hot chocolate recipes as possible. There are millions out there!

Quite a few years ago (probably around 10 actually), I checked out a really, really fun cookbook from a local library. It was More than Moonshine: Appalachian Recipes and Recollections and I fell in love with so many of the recipes that I wrote just about all of them down.  I’ve been meaning to order a copy off of Amazon – I noticed they have some available. I think I’ll go grab one as soon as I finish here.

One of the recipes in this adorable and highly unique little book was for Hot Chocolate. It’s extraordinary, so I guess the good people of the Appalachian Mountains knew as much about chocolate as they did moonshine.

Good on them.

Hot Chocolate

1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1 cup hot water
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
Marshmallows (optional)

Mix cocoa, sugar, and flour together in a saucepan; add water, and boil until somewhat thickened. Add the milk, vanilla, salt, and stir well.

Let come near boiling point, but do not boil. Put marshmallows in bottom of each cup and pour hot chocolate.

Yield: Makes 2 Cups

* You can substitute 1/2 milk and 1/2 whipping cream for the milk – but if you do so, DO NOT add the flour. (This is the way I always go – for some reason the thought of flour in my hot chocolate seems too much like gravy to me.)

Milk Frother with Stand and Stainless Steel Milk Frothing Pitcher

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Milk Frother with Stand

Fellow foodies and kitchen gadget junkies, I’ve given you tons of recommendations on this humble little food blog. I’ve recommended great cookbooks, delicious food, and kitchen gadgets, appliances, and cooking tools you have to see to believe.  But today… today I present to you two kitchen essentials you must order today. The sooner you have them in your possession, the brighter your world will be  Why haven’t I told you about these world-altering, life-changing essentials before?  I only just got my hands on them myself!

My wonderful husband recently ordered me the two lovelies you see here:  The Aerolatte Deluxe Edition Milk Frother with Stand, Stainless Steel is shown, in all its glory, above. The cutie below is the New 20 oz Espresso Coffee Milk Frothing Pitcher, Stainless Steel.

Allow me to tell you why you need these babies: You can, in the safety and comfort of your own home recreate the pricey, exotic, fancy pants drinks you love in coffeehouses and restaurants. It’s cheaper, funner, and potentially healthier to make these lattes, milkshakes, fraps, and hot chocolates at home. Heck you can even do it in your pajamas if you want to. Been there, done that.

Milk Frother and Stainless Steel Espresso Pitcher

Thus far, I’ve made:

  • Chai Tea Lattes – By making up a mug of chai tea and frothing a little milk. I’ve also used whipping cream in place of the milk.  Using 2 percent milk is just as delicious – but, admittedly, I add a packet of Truvia. What can I say, I have a mouthful of teeth and they’re all sweet. Sometimes I finish off the top with a dusting of cinnamon.
  • Hot Chocolate to die for – Forget the marshmallows! Topping off hot chocolate with frothed milk and a sprinkling of cocoa (or drizzle of caramel and sprinkling of sea salt) will make your eyes roll all the way into the back of your head.
  • Coffee with Frothed Milk – Seriously delicious and, again, using 2 percent saves calories.
  • Earl Grey Tea and Lady Grey tea with frothed milk is a REAL treat.

The Frother and Stand Product Features:

  • For steam-free espresso and other milk drinks; comes with storage stand
  • Includes 18/8 stainless-steel whisk, powered by 2 installed AA batteries
  • Frother produces foam in 15-20 seconds for hot or cold milk; circular, chrome stand grips frother for easy access and security
  • To clean, operate the frother in hot, soapy water and rinse; do not immerse the frother body in water or use in the dishwasher
  • The frother measures 8-3/4 inches long; Aerolatte offers a 5-year guarantee for defective parts or workmanship

I LOVE that the Frother comes with its own stand. You don’t have to worry about finding a place for it in your gadgets drawer or a spot for it in your utensils holder. You’ll always know exactly where it is – standing near your coffee pot looking fabulous.  Click HERE for more information about the Frother and stand.

Stainless Steel Espresso Coffee Milk Frothing Pitcher

Espresso Coffee Milk Frothing Pitcher Product Details:

  • A must have for any coffee enthusiast
  • Corrosion resistant 18/8 gauge stainless steel
  • Seamless design with pour spout
  • Dishwasher safe

Click HERE for more information about the Espresso Stainless Steel Pitcher.  I absolutely love mine.

Trust me, you just saw the next two kitchen gadgets (make that essentials) you should buy.  As in NOW!

Gourmet Hot Chocolate Recipes

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Pouring Hot Chocolate into a Cup
Pouring Hot…
Buy This at Allposters.com
The only thing better than hot chocolate is homemade hot chocolate and the gourmet hot chocolate recipes below sound like pure chocolate ecstasy. Sissotel in Chicago has been generous enough to share these recipes with the readers of our food blog. Swissôtel Chicago Sous Chef Christopher Polo has a couple of different ways to whip up rich hot cocoa from the comfort of your own home.

They sound BEYOND amazing, chef. Thanks for sharing!

White Chocolate Lavender Hot Chocolate

1qt Milk
1qt Heavy Cream
20 grams of Lavender extract
700 grams of Felchlin white chocolate

Heat milk and heavy cream until hot. Add in lavender extract and white chocolate and stir until melted. Blend with a hand blander and pass through a Chinois.

Mint Hot Chocolate

2qt Heavy Cream
1qt Half and Half
4oz Crème de Menthe
4oz Crème de Cacao
4oz of Sugar
2lbs of Felchlin Chocolate chunks

Heat heavy cream, half and half, Crème de Menthe, Crème de Cacao and sugar until hot. Add in chocolate and stir until melted. Blend with a hand blander and pass through a Chinois.

About Swissôtel Chicago: Swissôtel Chicago is a AAA Four Diamond hotel offering 661 newly renovated guestrooms, suites and a new state-of-the-art, 38,000 square foot Event Centre. The all-glass triangular hotel, designed by Harry Weese, is wedged into the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan and features wrap-around views from Navy Pier to Millennium Park and The Magnificent Mile. For more information please visit www.SwissotelChicago.com.