Craving Cocoa

Some people look to the sky for the first falling leaves, or the first floaty flakes of winter to herald the shift in seasons. I rely on my craving for cocoa to increase exponentially. And it has.

Yes, I am one of those folks who truly LOVES winter. Luuuuurves it! It's in my blood. Growing up in Massachusetts, blizzards were one of my favorite things (granted, I didn't have to drive in it or shovel it!), and few things were better after hours of playing in the snow than coming home to a cup of hot cocoa.

Make no mistake: this is no Swiss Miss packet (not that there's anything wrong with that). However, my craving requires a rich, chocolatey, luxurious experience. This is my french hot chocolate mix which they serve to the hoity-toity folks at Paris's Georges V hotel. One day I will try it there, but for now, I splurge once a year at chefshop.com and bring it to my Bay Ridge abode. I heat the milk up on the stove and whisk in the cocoa with my Williams-Sonoma whisk. I pour it into one of my many mugs, top it with a hefty dose of Redi-Whip, and curl up contentedly on the couch with my cats and my DVR.

Cheers!