Happy Birthday Craig: PW’s Chocolate Milk

As you have probably figured out by now, I am not much of a baker. So, when I saw this chocolate milk recipe shortly before Craig’s birthday, I knew it would make the perfect birthday treat. My husband adores chocolate milk. The thicker and richer, the better – and if it comes in a thick glass bottle, there is no way we’re leaving the store without it. This chocolate sauce recipe provides all the richness of those glass-bottle-type chocolate milks, even when mixed with skim milk. Yes, the sauce is rich and certainly not diet food, but you only need a little bit in each glass. I can’t wait to try this as hot chocolate, too. And maybe also to dip the raspberries I just bought in the sauce…the possibilities are endless…

As a side note, if you are not already a fan of the Pioneer Woman, I highly suggest you check her out. Her wit and great photography definitely keep me coming back. And if you have an entire afternoon to kill, I dare you to not get hooked on her ongoing love story.

Chocolate Milk

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

ingredients

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, preferably Ghirardelli, broken into squares

1 cup whipping cream

½ tsp. vanilla extract

 

directions

1. Bring cream to a bubble in a high-sided saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add chocolate and turn off the burner. Using a whisk, beat in chocolate for about 2 minutes, or until fully smooth. Whisk in vanilla.

3. Transfer to a pourable container and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. To make chocolate milk, use a long spoon to stir 1-1.5 Tbsp. chocolate sauce into a glass of milk.

Read Full Post »

Honeymoon Throwback: Caribbean-Style Rum Punch

My husband and I have a thing for the Caribbean – we went there as part of a study abroad trip when we were in college and first dating, and we went back to the region for our honeymoon this past May, 5 years later. We spent a week at a small, family-owned plantation inn on the tiny island of Nevis and had the best time. Every afternoon, we would go down to the bar and get rum punches. The place is so intimate that if there’s no bartender, you’re supposed to use the honor system and fix whatever you like and leave the money on the bar. As such, my husband got to fix our punches one day and we became obsessed with wondering whether we could make these drinks at home. Contrary to what people seem to think when we mention our love for rum punch, this is NOT anywhere near Hawaiian Punch with rum in it. In the islands, it contains sour orange juice, simple syrup, bitters, and dark rum with freshly grated nutmeg on top. At home, the only difference is that, since you can’t get sour orange juice, you have to use a combination of orange and lime juices. And you MUST shave whole nutmeg on top. The result is a spiced, sweet and sour drink that tastes exotic and is totally addictive. I was so happy to find this recipe – the result was nearly identical to what we had on our honeymoon and we had a great weekend pretending we were back on our private porch overlooking the ocean…

Adapted from: Allrecipes

ingredients

juice of 4 limes

about 2/3 to 3/4 cups simple syrup (add gradually and taste as you go) – simple syrup is made by bringing 1 cup of water to a boil, stirring in 2 cups of sugar, and stirring until fully dissolved. Then, let it cool before using.

1 ½ cups dark rum

2 cups fresh orange juice

Angostura bitters

freshly grated nutmeg

 

directions

In a pitcher, combine lime juice, simple syrup, rum and orange juice. Chill if desired. To serve, add ice to an old-fashioned glass. Sprinkle 4 dashes of bitters over the ice in each glass. Stir punch and pour over ice. Grate nutmeg on top.

Makes  5 – 6 drinks. The punch mixture will save in the fridge for a few days.

Read Full Post »