Tuesday, January 11, 2011

First Day, Hot Chocolate and Home Made Whipped Cream

     The first recipe, the first step, the first of over 100 was hot chocolate. In the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book on page 92, you find a wonderful recipe for hot chocolate. To make this you need,

          2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped, or 1/3 cup of semisweet chocolate pieces,
          1/3 cup sugar,
          4 cups milk,
          1 tbsp. instant cofee crystals (optional),
          Whipped cream or tiny marshmallows (optional) (I have the way to make whipped cream below!),
     In a medium saucepan combine chocolate, sugar and 1/2 cup of the milk. (In the video I say 1/2 of the milk, I was wrong. I put 1/2 of the milk, it worked fine though) Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just comes to boiling. Stir in remaining milk and, if desired, coffee crystals; heat through but do not boil. Remove from heat.

     If desire, beat mixture with an imersoin blender or rotary beater until frothy. Serve in mugs. If desired, top with whipped cream or tiny marshmalows.


          Serves six.
          5/5 stars.


     Another option is called     Spiced Hot Chocolate: Prepare as directed, except without coffee crystals; whisk 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon and1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg into chocolate mixture with remaining milk. (I'm not the biggest fan of nutmeg so I've found that just replacing the nutmeg with more cinnamon is good)

     There's also                        Low Fat Hot Chocolate: Prepare as directed, except substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for the chocolate and use fat free milk.

     One more                            Hazlenut Hot Chocolate: Prepare as directed except substitute 1/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread for the chocolate. Whisk the hazelnut mixture together before bringing to boiling.

     (I made Spiced Hot Chocolate.)




    To make whipped cream, do the following.
          In a chilled mixing bowl, combine 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tbs. sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on meduim util soft peaks form. DON'T OVERBEAT!


     4/5 stars.




          This is where I should put my video but it isn't working, so hopefuly it will next time. See you then!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The start to the cooking Adventure

     Today is my first day blogging. From now on, twice a week, I will blog. I will be going through the Better Homes and gardens New Cook Book, 15th edition. Kinda' like the movie Julie and Julia. I won't be doing one per day though. I will also be doing a VLOG (video blog) on Youtube, along with my blog. The link will be on my blog, and I hope you will watch the videos, and enjoy them.