chestnuts roasting.... over hot chocolate

Chestnut hot chocolate is for the chestnut connoisseur. The chocolate is not too overpowering, as to prevent the flavour of the chestnuts from singing through. Orange blossom honey helps to round out the flavours, by adding a slightly floral element. This is a welcome addition to satiate my hot chocolate cravings. Chestnut Hot Chocolate (serves 1-2) 1 cup whole milk 10 unsweetened chestnuts, jarred 20 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped 1 tbsp orange blossom honey 1. In a blender, combine the milk and chestnuts until smooth. 2. Heat the milk and chestnut mixture in a small saucepan, on low heat, until bubbles begin to form around the edge. 3. Add the dark chocolate, and whisk until combined. 4. Mix in the honey, until well combined, and remove from heat. Serve immediately.
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glorious cinnamon hot chocolate

Either I am in love with winter, or perhaps just the idea of it. I am certifiably nuts over hot chocolate. It's not something I can totally control either. It just starts with a craving, and develops into something more. It's like eating chocolate, but better; you don't have to wait for it to melt on the tongue to be able to savour it's beauty. In the next while, I'm going to feature, well, virtually endless varieties of hot chocolate. It's not that cold out yet, but we can all use a head-start on deliciousness to keep our wits about us. It's fairly simple to prepare, doesn't require hours of time, or overtly expensive ingredients. It can be humble, and still thrill us to no end. Cinnamon is an intriguing flavour to me. It has been demanded for hundreds of years, and is used in virtually every type of dish, from dessert to liqueur. And why not? It is sweet and spicy, an undeniably versatile and delicious spice. In this recipe, I used ground cinnamon, and the stick form, to ensure a thorough cinnamon luxuriousness. Cinnamon and chocolate paired together, makes me think of something very earthy, but also something exotic. Aztecs meet Silk Road. Cinnamon Hot Chocolate (Serves 2) 1 cup whole milk 1 10 cm cinnamon stick 2 tbsp best quality cocoa 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp, 70% dark chocolate (20g, chopped) 1 tsp best quality vanilla extract 1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cinnamon stick, cocoa, and the ground cinnamon. Whisk constantly. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low. Continue to whisk and heat on low for three minutes. 2. Still using a whisk, add the dark chocolate, honey, and vanilla extract to the heated mixture. 3. Once all the ingredients are silky smooth, pour into warmed cups. Garnish with a small cinnamon stick for each serving.
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pink peppercorn hot chocolate

Winter is a time to be cozy, curl-up and cuddle. It becomes exquisitely delicious and enticing with hot chocolate. It should be rich and aromatic, with a lingering thickness which remains on the palate just a second longer than expected. Something to be savoured. It may as well be a tad spicy, but a delicately sweet and subtle spice. A cure for all that ails you; affectionately known as drinkable chocolate goop, but ultimately much more refined. My favourite hot chocolate. pink peppercorn hot chocolate (Serves 1-2) 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 tsp cornstarch 60g, 70% dark chocolate, shaved or finely chopped 1 tbsp honey 1/2 tsp best quality vanilla extract 1/2 tsp crushed pink peppercorns 1. Pre-heat cups with hot water, to help the hot chocolate remain hot. 2. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and cornstarch to a simmer over medium-low heat. 3. Lower the heat, and whisk in the chocolate, honey, vanilla and peppercorns, until velvety smooth. 4. Empty the water from the cups, and dry. 5. Pour the hot chocolate into cups, and garnish with additional whole peppercorns, or whipped cream. Enjoy!
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creamiest cinnamon & honey ice cream

Trust me, this doesn't appear to be half as good as it is. I'm seriously not kidding. I would dare to say that this recipe is beyond creamy, it is so very decadent. Even a little bit extravagent, although certainly, a necessary indulgence. If you're going to have something sweet, you may as well go all the way, yes? Just go for it. It is so much more satisfying, and when something is this rich and creamy, it is almost impossible to want to eat too much anyways. Not that Jeff and I had any problem polishing this off, mind you. But our freezer might have lost power, and then it would spoil. Or surely, it would get nasty freezer burn. There was urgency in this high priority matter. Oh well, in any case. It was an extremely difficult wait, while the ice cream set in the freezer. Jeff wasn't home when I made it, so fortunately for me, I got the last bits out of the dasher all to myself. So there wasn't too much whining in the meantime, just my tummy wanting more and more. Cinnamon. Is there any spice more widely used? Surely, turmeric is up there in world stats I'm sure. But cinnamon is just so extremely versatile. I do try to eat a lot of it, as spices are supposed to be good for us, and are virtually calorie free. But truth be told, it is just darn good. Really, really good. I've never made anything that was too terrible with it, or that I thought had too much cinnamon. Not yet anyways. Plus it easily goes with most things, and always just makes it better. When I first made this ice cream, I was concerned that perhaps a tablespoon of cinnamon was too much. The colour of the ice cream was so brown, it was going to be a sunk ship, or so I thought. I was mad too, because I had to run to the store just for more cream. But then, it all figured itself out. So don't worry too much, it all turns out in the end with this one. Now I know a lot people are terrified of salt. Well sure, like anything else, too much isn't fabulous. But a little too much occasionally, to highlight here or there, is just plain fantastic! I increased the salt content to be similar to the amount I would add to make a salted caramel ice cream. Salty, but only to make the ice cream so delicious, that only eating a little bit is necessary to feel satisfied. There actually moments when I served myself a couple scoops of this stuff that I realized, that there was too much in the bowl. It is that rich. Oops! The honey is also an important component of this ice cream, but the amount of salt really helps it sing. Cinnamon and honey are just classic pairings, they seem so simple, and are virtual pantry staples. This ice cream is great to make when it seems like there is nothing good in the cupboards; you know, like Nutella, or good quality cocoa, or even chocolate. Just go for it. Creamiest cinnamon & honey ice cream 3 cups heavy cream 1 tbsp cinnamon 4 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup orange blossom honey 2 tsp fleur de sel 1. In a saucier, or sauce pan, heat on medium the 2 cups of the heavy cream, until bubbles easily form around the edge, and it is just barely steaming. In a separate, heatproof bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. In a thin stream, add half of the cream to the eggs, whisking constantly.* Add the eggs and cream back to the saucier, and cook on medium low. *This is tempering the eggs...or attempting to keep them from instantly scrambling by just adding them to the pot. 2. Add the sugar, honey, and cinnamon to the mixture. Continue to stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture appears quite gelatinous, and as if it will turn into scrambled eggs at any second, or coats the spoon with the consistency of melted ice cream. Remove from heat. 3. Whisk in the salt. Add the third cup of cream. 4. Allow the mixture to cool before placing in an ice cream dasher, and churn according to manufacturer's directions. The mixture should still be semi-soupy when removed, and added to a chilled container. Immediately place the container in a very cold freezer, later moving it to a warmer freezer. Enjoy!
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Lip Smacking Ice Cream, at Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, Seattle

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream Shop in Wallingford, Seattle, has only been open a few short months, but when Jeff and I stopped by at the end of July (yes, I will get up-to-date sooner than later), the line-ups were lengthy, so word is out. Although, I have to say, it is remarkably easy to get sucked in by the sounds of ice creams such as balsamic strawberry, thai iced tea, cardamom, or mandarin chocolate sorbet. If this place had an electromagnetic force to pull me in, I wouldn't be surprised. But I am like a homing pigeon, when it comes to anything ice-cream-like... Plus, for us, it was a bit of a pilgrimage of sorts, as I deliciously read Dana Cree's tastingmenu entries before our last trip to Italy; Dana now devises exquisite accompaniments for Molly's ice creams. When we stopped by the, we had to contend with the temptation of a balsamic reduction and a vanilla bean caramel. Decisions can be so difficult at times like these, especially when there are wee little tikes, sitting at the counter, licking their lips of nearly melted cones and enjoying every second of their absolute contentedness. With ice cream, life is good, very, very good. Fortunately for many university students in Seattle, Molly Moon's is just a short jaunt away, such a wonderful luxury. Sigh.... Nor is it far for Trophy Cupcake lovers, which is practically a hop, skip, and a jump across the way from Molly Moon's. Oh darn! There is certainly no reason to feel one iota of remorse for devouring these treats, as the milk is organic from nearby Maltby, Washington, and ingredients involving fruit are organic and local when possible. Molly Moon's shop is pretty small - well it's actually very narrow. So, if you are driving by, look for this sign: Molly Moon's is so narrow, that it actually is just an adorable 1/2. The creative ice cream flavours available, including Vivace coffee. Of course, you know, I am contemplating how soon, I can again have any possibility of eating all of these flavours. If you make it, keep me posted, give me the scoop! I am senselessly slobbering over sam's sundae, but I think that is the pièce de résistance, bien sûr. Products and prices. I like the chalkboard. Keep it simple. Jars of orange chocolate sauce to go. There were a few different kinds of chocolate sauce, but also a selection of t-shirts, and baby sleepers too. This was the salty, salted caramel ice cream. I quite liked it, especially the saltiness. If you dislike salt, this ice cream is not for you. This was different than I expected, however, I figured there would be bits of the salty caramel swirled in, where you could see and taste it as a separate flavour from the ice cream itself. I still liked it, but it probably wouldn't be hard to twist my arm to try something different next time. I also enjoyed the overall creaminess of Molly Moon's ice creams. I am thankful she, yes Molly is real, chose organic dairy, as I do think the difference is in the taste. The flavours are much lighter, and easily recognizable, with a beautiful creaminess which is not overwhelming to delicate flavours. Jeff had honey lavender, and it was lovely. Can you see the bits of lavender? Lavender can be so graciously flavourful, with a sensual uniqueness that was perfectly paired with just the right amount of honey goodness. Thankfully, this was subtle, and elevated this ice cream to a new level, something to be enjoyed, and savoured - if only it didn't melt so fast I would hold onto it much longer! I'll be back at Molly Moon's - 1622 ½ N 45th St, Wallingford, Seattle, (206) 547-5105
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