Why does the world hate hot cocoa drinkers?

[draggar]

Draggar, my darling, would you PM me that Ben & Jerrys recipe?? Please?

I'll do one better - get this book!

http://www.amazon.com/Jerrys-Homemad...3118678&sr=8-1

Inc recipe..

In the book they have "bases" which is used in all of their ice creams (and great as a "plain" ice cream), I've found #1 works the best:

2 large eggs
2 cups of heavy or whipping cream
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk

Whip the eggs until they're "fluffy". Slowly whisk in the sugar until it is all blended. Then, whisk in the cream and milk.

This makes about 1 qt (1/4 gallon). Double it to make a standard half gallon.

You can use this to make any flavor but there is one little rule people forget: the amount of air (hence why ones like B&J is more expensive - they're only about 20% air while most "generic" and cheap ones are about 50% air). If you want less air, add in as much ice cream as your maker can get, but it will be thicker. For lighter / fluffier, only fill it halfway or less (the less ice cream in the mixer, the more air will be in it).

A few flavors I've made:
3/4 cup of dried cake batter for cake batter ice cream (yummy!).
There is a recipe for banana strawberry in there, too. It is great (note: the browner / more spots on the banana, the better!)

The chocolate is:

2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
1/3 unsweetened cocoa powder (this is where I used the Godiva)
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup of heavy or whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

In a double boiler (hot water - not boiling) melt and whisk the cocoa and chocolate. When it is done, slowly whisk in the milk and when that is done let it cool.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until light, whisk in the sugar (slowly adding it) until completely blended. Add in cream and vanilla - whisk some more.

Add the chocolate mixture and, you guessed it, whisk whisk whisk until it is completely blended. Put it in the fridge for 1-3 hours to let it completely cool. Then, toss it in the ice cream maker.

*Note - for really chocolaty, use chocolate milk instead of regular milk)

[drunkenwildmage]

::goes to break room at work::

Lets see

Pot of Coffee ....Check
Pot of Decaf Coffee....Check
Pot of Randomly Flavored coffee....Check
Tea bags...Check
Decaf Tea bags...Check
Hot Coca Mix... Check


Hmm..Don't know what you are talking about

I can't vouch for how good or bad the 'randomly flavored Coffee' is as Coffee Isn't my cup of tea.

[AccountingDrone]

If it makes you feel any better, Draggar, anytime I have a party during cold weather, I make sure hot cocoa and marshmallows are available to anyone who wants it. Of course, I also keep a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps in the fridge, just to liven it up.

Grand Marinier and a good brandy are also good in cocoa ... just saying

[CaroPhoenix]

That's the only reason I like eating at the Bob Evans' restaurant near my house: Unlimited Refills on hot chocolate! Yes, and it's the same price (I believe) as coffee/tea.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Can I join the club if I drink coffee, but it always has to have milk and chocolate in it? I will not drink just coffee. I have to have a mocha latte. That's just coffee-flavored hot cocoa, right?

Strangely, I will drink coffee flavored hot chocolate, but I will not drink chocolate flavored coffee.

I too do the Godiva hot cocoa. I got a set of 3 flavors last winter, and seeing as its almost winter again and I'm almost out...
(I love the hot cocoa, but I don't drink it in the warmer months... seeing as I live in Hawaii, that's most the year.)

Is that the gift box with the 3 small tins (milk, dark and mocha, I think it was)? I get that too. B&N should be getting it soon. I also get the bigger tins (I have dark chocolate in my kitchen now).

At work in the kitchen there is free coffee and tea (not good tea, though ; I keep my own at my desk). The cafeteria also sells Starbucks coffee (just regular and decaf). But they also have the same free coffee/tea in the seating area, so I don't know why anyone would bother to buy Starbucks ). They used to sell Starbucks hot chocolate mix for $1 a packet, but they stopped carrying it. Now they have Nestle mix, for only 50 cents.

[Jester]

As one who loves hot chocolate but does not drink coffee or tea, I feel I have to pipe in. While I understand your feelings, as HHBT pointed out, hot chocolate (or cocoa if you prefer) sells far less often, and is drank far less often, than either coffee or tea. My current bar does not stock hot cocoa, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've been asked for it in my 2.5 years working there. I have worked in places that did stock hot chocolate, but again, orders for them were rare. Admittedly, almost all my restaurant experience is from warmer climes (Phoenix and the Key West), but remember, I am commenting on the proportion of hot drinks ordered that are hot chocolate, not hot chocolate compared to all drinks. In other words, from a business perspective, it is really not a seller.

That being said, I feel your pain, as I love hot chocolate during the (few) cold days we get. And for those of you scratching your head thinking "but I thought Jester didn't drink caffeine," relax....hot chocolate has a quarter of the caffeine found in coffee or soda, and at that level, I can safely indulge.

One note: coffee shop hot chocolate is THE BEST! I am not including Starbuck's in this....I am talking about OTHER coffee shops, especially local ones or small chains.

Grand Marinier and a good brandy are also good in cocoa...

Dr. Jester's Cure For When It's Cold And You're Sick: Go to your favorite bar (that has hot chocolate) and order a Girl Scout Cookie. This is a hot chocolate drink with Bailey's Irish Cream and peppermint schnapps in it. Tastes JUST like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie! Have, say, four or five seven or eight of these. Either you will feel much better, or you will be too drunk to remember that you are sick!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Dr. Jester's Cure For When It's Cold And You're Sick: Go to your favorite bar (that has hot chocolate) and order a Girl Scout Cookie. This is a hot chocolate drink with Bailey's Irish Cream and peppermint schnapps in it. Tastes JUST like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie! Have, say, four or five seven or eight of these. Either you will feel much better, or you will be too drunk to remember that you are sick!

Oh, god, that sounds so good. I don't have to go catch a cold to be allowed to have one, do I?

[Jester]

I don't have to go catch a cold to be allowed to have one, do I?

Absolutely NOT!

[Greenday]

My current bar does not stock hot cocoa, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've been asked for it in my 2.5 years working there.

If you are going to a bar for hot cocoa, you are doing it wrong.

Ooh, forgot to mention, when to the coffee truck in the academic quad: small coffee was $1.25 and small hot cocoa...$1.25. Woohoo!

[draggar]

If you are going to a bar for hot cocoa, you are doing it wrong.

Ever hear of a designated driver?

When I was younger (21-25ish) my friends and I would always go to bars and clubs but none of us drank. The nice part of it is that the staffs were always very nice to us, they knew damn well that we would never become a pack of rowdy drunks. (and we tipped well knowing our "drinks" were the low-profit ones).

[Jester]

If you are going to a bar for hot cocoa, you are doing it wrong.

You forget, Greenday, that my bar is a restaurant bar, with a full (and awesome) menu, and thus hot chocolate would not be that unusual. I agree that at a full on BAR bar, it would be a bit odd, though not completely out of whack, especially in colder climes.

[draggar]

You forget, Greenday, that my bar is a restaurant bar, with a full (and awesome) menu, and thus hot chocolate would not be that unusual. I agree that at a full on BAR bar, it would be a bit odd, though not completely out of whack, especially in colder climes.

Next time I am in Key West I am definitely heading there.

[AdminAssistant]

A number of the restaurant/bars in KC, and probably here in my town, have hot chocolate. Hell, McCoy's (in KC - Westport, to be exact) serves milk and cookies as a dessert!

[jedimaster91]

During my rotations as a Nuclear student, there was only one hospital that had hot chocolate. It was a jug of Swiss Miss so I still had to trek to the coffee machine for hot water.

My favorite mix is Land O' Lakes (yes, the same guys who bring you the butter). They have a box full of different flavors like mint, raspberry, french vanillia, dutch chocolate, and a couple others I don't remember off hand. The mint and raspberry are my favorites. I also recently tried McDonald's new McCafe hot chocolate and it was very tastey. Much better than the swill they used to try to pass off as hot chocolate. Starbucks makes a pretty good one with peppermint syrup. Yum! Starbuck's also has a pretty decent apple cider, but I like the cider mix better.

[CaroPhoenix]

I went to Bob Evans this morning for breakfast (treated myself). I checked the prices of coffee/tea/hot chocolate. Coffee & tea are $1.69 each. The hot chocolate is $1.89, but it's unlimited refills! In honor of this thread, I had the hot chocolate (and the sunrise skillet). The waiter did try to get me to order the Caramel Mocha coffee drink thingee, but I stuck to my guns (so to speak).