A Cup Of Chocolate...

This chocolate drink recipe might be useful for holiday season. And what's good about this recipe is that you can store the drink for up to 2 weeks. You can also give this as a gift to family and friend =) Isn't it great? The reason why I am posting this recipe is because on the last several days, the wind blows so hard and I always feel like having a cup of hot chocolate, not warm but hot. I always love to just stay at home watching the tube or read a good book and the hot chocolate is a really good substitute for a comforting drink if you think you've had too many cups of coffee for the day. So I was browsing along the web and stumbled upon this recipe on Project Foodie, and this one is called Mexican Drinking Chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds (20 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (61 to 66 percent cacao), finely chopped
• 2 1/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 2 soft, plump whole vanilla beans, split and scraped
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• 
  
• Implements: Four (½-Pint) Decorative Glass Jars with Tight-Fitting Lids, Kitchen Scale, Cutting Board, Chef's Knife, Large Heatproof Glass or Stainless-Steel Bowl, Measuring Cups and Spoons, Paring Knife, Medium Saucepan, Silicone Spatula. Prep Time: 20 minutes. Cook Time: 5 minutes. Makes four (½-pint) jars of drinking chocolate.

Directions:

1. Wash the jars, including the lids, in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, run the jars through the regular cycle of your dishwasher; wash the lids by hand.
2. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the cream, vanilla beans (seeds and pods), cinnamon, and chipotle chile to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Using a silicone spatula, press the vanilla pods against the side of the pan to remove any remaining seeds and cream. Discard the pods.
4. Immediately pour the cream mixture over the chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the corn syrup and almond extract, stirring until incorporated.
5. Pour the chocolate ganache into the prepared jars, dividing it evenly and leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and secure the lids. Label and refrigerate.

• Storing: Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
• Gift-Giving Tips: Tie each jar with raffia or ribbon and attach a recipe card. To turn this into a gift basket, consider including small mugs or even cappuccino cups and saucers, along with a fine-mesh shaker filled with a specialty cocoa powder for dusting the top of the drinks.

(recipe and image source: Project Foodie)