Blog Archives: December, 2007
Waterloo Park Christmas Lights
Wonders of Winter in Waterloo Park Now that I live right next to Waterloo Park, I walk through the park nearly everyday going to or from school. For the past few weeks, there have been Christmas displays lit up throughout the park, and tonight after getting a foot of snow dumped on Waterloo I decided to go for a photoshoot. I don’t quite understand what dinosaurs or Spiderman have to do with Christmas, but Frosty and the nativity scene make sense.
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Hot chocolate recipe
For a short period, Starbucks offered a premium hot chocolate beverage called Chantico. It was the best hot chocolate drink that could be bought: it was an intense rich chocolate beverage, coming in a tiny cup and enough to fill you up. Sadly, not enough people bought it and it was discontinued. But I’ve found a good recipe on this site and adapted it a little bit for my tastes, and let me tell you, the result is amazing. If you decide to make this on a cold wintry December night, just don’t try to drink too much — it’s very rich!
Old-Fashioned (Chantico-style) Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups 3.25% milk
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch cinnamon, chili powder, or cayenne, (optional)
- 4 tablespoons skim milk
- cocoa, one of two below
- Solid Cocoa
- 4 squares semisweet chocolate, grated
- Powdered Cocoa
- 9 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
If using solid cocoa: Grate chocolate (manually or in food processor fitted with steel blades). Add in corn starch, sugar, and salt.
If using powdered cocoa: Mix solid ingredients, butter, and a little milk to make a smooth paste; add remaining milk.
In a one-quart, heavy-bottomed, non-aluminum saucepan, heat milk over medium low heat, stirring often with small whisk, until it is steaming hot. Carefully add chocolate mixture. Continue cooking mixture, stirring almost constantly with whisk and scraping bottom and sides of pot with rubber spatula frequently. Mixture will steam for several (15-20) minutes before coming to a boil, and will thicken slightly. When mixture boils, continue cooking and stirring for just 30 to 45 seconds. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and any optional ingredients.
This syrup can be refrigerated for future use; reheat in microwave at 50% power, stirring frequently. To serve: Divide syrup among small 4 mugs, and mix 1 tablespoon of skim milk in each mug to achieve desired consistency; you may need to warm in microwave once skim is added.
