first fall day

Today was the first day it felt like fall; the weather was nipping at my heels every time I stepped outside. To me, this signals the advent of hot chocolate season - and I'm not talking about just any old hot chocolate. Because I'm feeling generous and also a little under the weather, I am going to share the best-ever recipe. It zaps a cold, suffices as a meal, and requires a nap after consuming.

It may not seem obvious what this recipe has to do with a blog about reading habits, but I read a lot of cookbooks. Here is a fruit of the habit:

"Super-rich Hot Chocolate with Coconut Cream" from Bon Appetit
(I think)

~makes 8 servings and takes less than 30 mins~
(I usually halve all the ingredients)

Ingredients:
one 13.5 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (light/reduced fat works fine)
1/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 2/3 cups whole milk
3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (18 ounces)
marshmallows for serving (optional and I never do this)

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk and sugar and heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Keep warm.
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and whole milk and bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate chips to the milk/cream mixture and remove from heat. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted: whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate into 8 mugs and spoon coconut milk on top (or just fill half of each mug; that is what I do). Marshmallow garnish.