hot chocolate three ways

We love a big, steaming cup of hot chocolate on brisk winter days, post-ski or snowshoe, or to wind down after a busy work week. With the bounty of New England herbs and veggies that can be dried and used throughout the winter months, making sipping cocoa mixes that use real, freshly ground ingredients to flavor them makes the freshest, healthiest treat to stave off the chill from a polar vortex or Nor’Easter. And BONUS: you can use them in your favorite baking recipes, or serve them chilled over ice!

We grind pure dark chocolate from Ecuador for our Drinking Chocolate mix, and make our thick, silky European-style hot drinking chocolate with 6 Tbsp chocolate mix per 8 oz liquid (served by the cup in our shop on Saturdays). It can be made with hot milk or plant-based mylk of your choice (we prefer full fat original oat, it doesn’t add a flavor to the chocolate, just a rich creamy base). Or, if you’re a purist and prefer a brighter flavor, hot water (there’s enough cocoa butter to add a touch of creaminess and body).

We went a little crazy with flavors for our seasonal Sipping Cocoas, our ground single origin Ecuador chocolate blended with premium cocoa powder and freshly ground spices, fruits, flowers or herbs for our Sipping Cocoa mixes. All are dairy-free (except the Bonfire Blend, made with rich, caramel-y dark milk chocolate) coming up with creative blends made with local ingredients, from the cool and refreshing Forest Blend with Vermont spruce and wildcrafted peppermint and Spicy Hearth Blend available during the winter holidays, Bonfire Blend with Vermont maple sugar and smoked sea salt available during spring maple sugaring season, limited edition umami Deep Woods Mocha Blend with medicinal mushrooms and roasted dandelion root that we offer in the summertime, and Valentine Vie en Rose Blend with raspberry, rose, hibiscus and pink Himalayan salt (sign up for our newsletter or keep an eye out in the shop and on social media for product drops!). With no artificial flavors or colors, the pure aromas come through with each sip and make this one elegant chocolate drink to savor.

And don’t forget our dark and milk chocolate Tavo Cocoa Sticks aka submarinos, perfect for travel, the office or a quick snack. An Argentinian tradition, these solid chocolate cigars can be stirred into hot coffee drinks or warm milk, vegan mylks, or hot water to your taste, and you can nibble on the chocolate as you enjoy. So civilized.

Fresh unsweetened whipped cream or fluffy homemade marshmallows are our favorite accoutrements for hot drinking chocolate, but fresh heavy cream whipped with a nip of your favorite liqueur, natural pure extract, coffee, tea or fruit juice concentrate is pretty darn delicious. We love Vermont Marshmallow Company marshmallows, so soft and pillowy, not-too-sweet but packed with amazing flavors.

Simple Recipes

Drinking Chocolate & Sipping Cocoa Recipes

For one serving of hot chocolate, simply heat 8 oz. of milk/mylk over medium heat until just scalding, then turn off the heat and whisk in 3 or more Tablespoons of Drinking Chocolate (we use 6 Tbsp for a Parisian style sip) or Sipping Cocoa Mix. Voila!

Pour freshly made hot chocolate into a heat resistant container like a pitcher or canning jar, let cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Pour over ice for a refreshing, rich and delicious treat.

Our amazing little mixes can also be used in recipes from rich and flavorful ice cream sauces, to swapping them out for chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in your favorite baked goods.

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Flavored Whipped Cream Topping

Per one pint of chilled heavy whipping cream, add one or two tablespoons of the following and whip in a chilled metal bowl until soft peaks appear:

• liqueurs like Frangelico (super tasty paired with Deep Woods Mocha Blend Cocoa & Bonfire Blend Cocoa), Chambord (try it with Vie en Rose Blend Cocoa), Kahlua (yummy with Spicy Hearth Cocoa)
• syrups & sauces like Maple Syrup (delicious with Bonfire Blend Cocoa), Raspberry Sauce (super good with Vie en Rose Blend Cocoa)
• strong brewed coffee (we love it with all of the blends) or tea (Mint, Green or Earl Grey are amazing with Forest Blend, Kukicha Twig Tea with Bonfire Blend, and Lapsang Souchong with Deep Woods Mocha Blend)
• Create your own combinations! Have fun!

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Hot Chocolate Additions

• In a spice/coffee mill grind edible flowers and/or herbs to a fine powder. Add to your hot drinking chocolate and milk/mylk mix as you are warming it on the stove top to infuse the flavors. Get creative! Some suggestions: rose + lavender; matcha + mint; chai spice; turmeric + ginger + pinch black pepper
• A shot of bourbon in Deep Woods Mocha Blend and Bonfire Blend is one of our favorite winter warmers
• Irish Creme Liqueur + Frangelico in Vie en Rose Cocoa Blend is a brilliant combination from our chocolatier, Kestrel

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Go here for a recipe for Chocolate Drizzled Lace Cookies, perfect for dipping into hot chocolate drinks

Check out the Forest Walk Cocoa Bomb recipe we developed for a fun book