hot chocolate

Since the snow picnic is a lunch, a signature cocktail is not necessary. Instead offer guests beer, water, and wine. Place beer directly in the snow to keep it icy cold and serve the wine in plastic glasses. An Italian Chianti pairs nicely with the soup, salad, and sandwiches, while a buttery California Chardonnay is a nice white option. I plan on making a birthday toast with a bottle of bubbly during dessert.

After the snowball fight, invite guests back to your house for a glass of hot cocoa. Set up a hot chocolate bar before you leave for the picnic. Allow guests to stir in their own hot chocolate accompaniments. To check out the hot chocolate bar recipe, read more

If you thought the Serpentine Goblets were pricey, then let me introduce you to the world's most expensive dessert: Frrrozen Haute Chocolate. Created by the folks at the Serendipity 3 restaurant in NY, the Frrrozen Haute Chocolate — which is an expensive version of their famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate — rings up at $25,000. Yes, that is a five figure price tag on a single dessert.

The dessert itself is a mix of cocoa and milk, frozen to a slush-like drink. Five grams of 24-carat gold is mixed in and then it's topped with more gold and garnished with a $250 chocolate truffle that is flown in from France.

The dessert has just gone on sale and actually needs a two week lead time (they also fly the gold in from Switzerland). So far they haven't sold any, but I'm sure that's just a matter of time.

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If you looked out the window today and saw gray skies, cold winds, hard rains, or soft snowflakes, man do I have a special treat for you. It's in the form of a decadent hot cocktail spiked with sunny tropical flavors that will warm you while giving you a blissful buzz. I love spiked hot chocolate and usually make a minty, dark chocolate concoction but this recipe pairs hot cocoa with peach and coconut flavors. Top it with whipped cream and pair with a fireplace, movie, and blanket for a leisurely evening in. Or if you're one of those adventurous outdoorsy types fill a thermos and enjoy this steaming drink while you sit back for the long ride back up the mountain on the chair lift. Take a look at the recipe and read more

I'll be honest with you, I'm actually not really into romantic movies. So when I set out to find the perfect "TV Dinner" for Valentine's Day, I hit a wall immediately. Then suddenly, in a moment of clarity, I remembered the film Chocolat. After all, what could possibly say romance better than a film starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche, and a whole lot of chocolate?! My only problem is that thanks to all the chocolate, I had a hard time coming up with one scene that summed it all up.

However, I did recall that the shop was called Chocolaterie Maya and that the hot cocoa (you know, that one that melts even Judi Dench's old heart) contained a bit of a kick. To learn the secret recipe that is as close to the movie as possible, read more

This may be YumSugar territory but I wanted to share my favorite thing about Christmas morning - aside from opening presents, duh. My family has the best Christmas morning brunch ever and the first thing I grab is a big cup of Marie Belle Aztec Dark Hot Chocolate, $17 for a 10 oz. tin. I also like to plop in a couple Williams-Sonoma Vanilla Marshmallows, $12 for 1 lb. By the time brunch is over, I am high on this cocoa and ready to dive into my presents! Oh and did I mention the fabulous packaging? Are you a hot choco fan too? Check out YumSugar's recent hot cocoa story. Enjoy!