One of my favorite things about autumn is getting to make hot chocolate again. Sure, I could make it any time of year, but when it’s 115 degrees for what seems like weeks on end, a hot drink is the last thing on my mind!

Now that the leaves in my area are finally turning and the air has a wonderful chill to it, it’s time to pick up some hot chocolate supplies on my next grocery ship to stock up the pantry.
I prefer a creamy hot chocolate, as opposed to a watery one or something from a packet, and the …read more

The official start of my favorite season, fall, is just days away. Living in the desert southwest, we won’t be feeling the effects of the autumnal equinox for another month or so, but my mind is already working to find ways to bring autumn inside, even if it’s going to take its time making an appearance outside!

With White Chocolate Day coming up on September 23, I thought I would see what I could find that doesn’t involve the typical uses of white chocolate, like cookies, coatings, etc. I came across white hot chocolate and I’m intrigued.
I’m not a huge …read more

Now that the weather has cooled down I’d love to have one of these Hot Choctail Makers in my kitchen! Sure, it’s easy enough to throw a pot on the stove or a mug into the microwave, but how cute is this thing? The kids could even do it without me hovering!
Bringing a whole new meaning to the term hot chocolate, this smart contraption is capable of melting, mixing and frothing chocolate. This means you can create chocolatey smoothies, beautifully blended ‘choctails’, frothy chocshakes, gloopy mochas – you name it, the Choctail Maker can make it. ~firebox
Just add your favorite …read more

This week’s Chocolate Zen is a delicious-looking hot chocolate. I’m not sure why it’s in a glass but it sure looks pretty!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to make a Starbucks run for another Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (get it with a shot of espresso – it’s amazing! Thanks for the idea, 6thFloor!).
[image: flickr]

I’m so glad it’s time for hot chocolate! Even though I live in the desert I love the cold: I live for fall and I don’t mind winter and snow. That’s why I’m always happy when I realize that it’s time for Starbucks to launch their pumpkin and peppermint flavor shots. This year, however, they’ve launched something new – premium hot chocolates!
Though they’ve been available in Europe and Asia for the last two years, Starbucks decided to bring things home as the demand for premium chocolate has increased. I had the chance to try one and I don’t know what …read more

I know it’s not really the time of year for hot chocolate, but the recipe for this one intrigued me and I wanted to share.
Rob, owner and chocolatier of Kingsbury Chocolates in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia shares his recipe for lavendar hot chocolate (complete with chopped pistachios on top!). I like that you can use any kind of milk, from whole to soy, and anything from dark chocolate to white chocolate!

It may officially be spring but that doesn’t necessarily mean the days are warming up and staying warm! Instead of making hot chocolate one cup at a time, why not make an entire batch of mix that you can pull out whenever Mother Nature decides to throw a cold front around?
Hot Cocoa Mix
10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk powder, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, and creamer. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store cocoa mixture in an airtight container. Makes about 15 cups …read more

I set out on a search last night for tricky things you can do with chocolate for April Fool’s Day today. Sadly, there’s not much. I thought about a “chocolate cake” for dinner (really meatloaf and mashed potatoes dressed up like a cake), but I had no pictures of the few times I’ve done it and what fun is that?
I came across the video above which really doesn’t have much to do with April Fool’s except that it has “trick” in the title, but it does have Tim Tams and hot chocolate and an adorable Australian guy.
I also wanted to …read more

Living in Vegas, we really don’t get a whole lot of autumn here. Seriously, it lasts about a week and then it’s just brown and a bit chilly. So for this month’s Home & Dining channel theme, we decided to focus on things to keep you warm during the autumn months — or weeks, in my case. So here are
50 Ways Chocolate Can Keep You Warm This Autumn:

The history of hot chocolate
Hot chocolate
Warm chocolate cookies
Hot Fudge Spoon Cake
Molten Chocolate Cake
Warm Chocolate-Nut Brownie
Spicy chocolate cookies
Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake
Old-fashioned hot fudge
S’mores without …read more

I’ve been trying to find some more chocolate sites and blogs to add to my blogroll recently and in the process have come across some great sites. Below I’ve picked just a few noteworthy entries out of all the great links over in the sidebar:
- Chocolate Obsession reviews… bacon-flavored chocolate. For real.
- The Chocolate Nerd found Guayabitas: “sweet guava jelly drops rolled in sunkissed Costa Rican dark chocolate.”
- Chocablog has an amazingly huge slab of milk chocolate, caramel milk chocolate and white chocolate swirled together. A bit of perspective can be found here. Chocablog also reviews Cadbury’s Dairy Milk with …read more