"The turkey is a turkey, you turkey!"

[jazzfish]

Class is done save for the Mapping final on Thursday. Feeling ... relatively confident? Guess I'll see in a few weeks.

Xmas shopping is mostly done, and should be entirely done by this time next week. It better be, since much of it needs to be shipped.

Last week I was craving hot chocolate, which is usually a Problem since commercial hot chocolate always feels watery. I got my mother's recipe for hot chocolate mix today but I don't think I'll be making it. This is a recipe for making enough hot chocolate to give as Xmas presents to pretty much everyone. "Makes about 19 cups," it says, and that's 19 dry cups of mix, not "cups of hot chocolate."

But I bought myself cocoa powder in the grocery haul this week anyway, and found a more reasonable-sized recipe online and tried it out this evening. If the only secret to good hot chocolate is "use milk instead of water" I will be mildly annoyed but mostly happy that it's that easy. For the second mug I added a couple drops of orange extract instead of vanilla and it was like drinking a chocolate orange.

So I had hot chocolate in one of my big Xmas tree mugs that I scavenged four(!) years ago when my folks moved from a giant house into a small apartment, and watched Muppet Family Christmas (and teared up at Jim Henson's cameo at the end, as always), and generally feel better combobulated after a somewhat stressful Sunday. I get grumpy about seeing Christmas stuff before December but I do enjoy the season in its proper place and time.

I hope you're all well and warm and loved.

Comments

[reedrover]

Muppets! >heart eyes

[jazzfish]

:)

Muppet Family Christmas may (may) be the best of the Muppet Xmas offerings, though I wouldn't look askance at someone putting Muppet Christmas Carol in the #1 slot.

Also while I appreciate the sharper visuals on the youtube link above, I do miss the late-eighties commercials that were included with the version I've watched in previous years.

[greenstorm]

Hot chocolate hierarchy: mix with water < mix with milk < mix with milk and cream < cocoa with milk < cocoa with milk and cream < dark chocolate bar with milk < dark chocolate bar with milk and cream < dark chocolate and cocoa with milk and cream < basically a very light custard with egg yolk, cream, milk, cocoa, and a dark chocolate bar with a tiny splash of vanilla

[jazzfish]

Hm. I do have some heavy cream to experiment with. I'm specifically going for 'cocoa' over 'chocolate' for ease of production.

Suggested flavourings that I am curious to try: cinnamon (plus almond extract?), peppermint extract. Ones that I am less curious to try: instant coffee, Bailey's.

[greenstorm]

I have both of those extracts. The cinnamon is the good stuff.

If you want to make big batches I think you can buy menthol powder, which is a very dangerous substance. I think you can use it to make peppermint patties too.

I actually find chocolate easier than cocoa, since the cocoa powwder (not hot chocolate powder) tends to be clumpy and needs the slow heat of a stovetop to dissolve, whereas microwaving milk and tossing in a broken up chocolate bar, letting it sit a few mins, and stirring briefly is easier for me. You know me and sitting by a stove stirring constantly. :P

[jazzfish]

I realised last night that I require a few little lumps of undissolved cocoa for it to be Proper Hot Chocolate. :D

[greenstorm]

You've got the correct brand for that then. Quick powder dissolves way less than most.

[carbonel]

A splash of Amaretto in hot chocolate can make an amazing difference.

[lee_future]

Milk with mix is the way to go. Add a good easy whipping cream and some cinnamon and cayenne, and you have best. Vanilla, very, very light peppermint, and finally homemade orange syrup from real oranges not orange juice, that's the stuff.

I love the Cocoa Camino spicy mix with added cayenne on camping trips and in front of fires. warm inside and out.

Glad to hear you are lining your ducks up in an order that is pleasing to you for the season.