Hot Cocoa and Chocolate Shortbread

Happy Monday -

It snowed Yesterday!  I have been waiting for it to snow this year!  It started around 10 am and was still coming down heavily at 2 in the afternoon!  I was out taking pictures and enjoying the muffled quiet that comes with snow falling and just getting myself in the spirit of the season.

I have many orders to make and a show on December 10 and my open house on December 11, both of which should have many visitors browsing so I have lots things to do, but I had to take a break and enjoy the snow!

And just to get you thinking about the outdoors and cocoa here is a chocolate shortbread recipe:

Chocolate Shortbread
This goes well with hot cocoa!

1 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbls. cocoa powder
1/2 cup softened butter

Directions:
Cream the butter.  Then add the entire package of Shortbread Mix and work in. Knead the resulting dough on an unfloured surface until nice and smooth.  Firmly press the dough, working from the center out into an oiled pan.  Prick the surface with a fork all over . Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

An Icy Chill, Chapped Lips and herbal Lip Balm - How Tuesday

It got bitter here.  The same time of year it gets bitter here every year, but this year it was 40+ degrees leading up to a dip with wind chill below Zero and air temps not far above Zero!  Now I know I shouldn't but as soon as I get outside in the bitter wind, I lick my lips.  I hate it when they feel dry.  I remember to put on a lip balm only after they start to crack and ache.  This year I actually thought ahead and made a lip balm which is in my purse, but old habits die hard.  I did not put it on today until I was on my way home from work after the cold weather had done its worst.

I still thought I should share the balm I made as it is very effective.

Lip Balm
The easiest way to make a lip balm is to infuse dried calendula petals with 2 parts cocoa butter melted with 1 part sunflower oil. When pour into cold jars, the balm will keep solid at room temperature. 


If you want to make something more elegant and ricchly scented, you can try this recipe.  I got it from Herbaholics Herbarium.  This is a UK site so be aware they use herbs differently there than we do in the US.

Rosebud Lips Balm
9fl oz. Calendua Oil
3 Tablespoons Jojoba Oil
1½ oz. Dried Alkanet Root
1oz. Beeswax, grated
12 Drops Rose Essential Oil (optional)

Gently heat both oils in the top of a double boiler for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the alkanet root and steep for around 30 minutes, to extract the color from the root. Strain the root from the oils through cheese cloth or a coffee filter. Return the oils to the double boiler with the beeswax. Once the wax has melted, remove from the heat and add the rose essential oil drop by drop. Pour into small sterilized jars. Allow to cool thoroughly before putting the lids on.

Notice when making balms or salves you generally use materials by weight not volume.  That is important to getting a stable salve or balm that hardens as you would want.

Tea Infused Hot Chocolate

I will reach for a cup of tea any long cold day or night.  In truth I drink hot tea almost any time of year.  My husband has been enjoying Hot Cocoa in his Coffee for several years now.  When he was diagnosed with diabetes he stopped enjoying this until he discovered the happiness of Backyard Patch Sugar-free Hot Cocoa (It is amazing what he does not pay any attention to that I make until he needs it!)

His obsession with cocoa in his coffee got me to thinking, how would it taste in tea?  Since tea and milk go well together, this seemed like a great pairing.  So I did an experiment and came up with this recipe.

Hot Cocoa Tea

1 tsp. tea
          (any mint herbal tea is perfect, an oolong is a rich counter part and Chai was made for milk anyway)

1 cup of milk

3 1/2 Tbls. sugar (or sugar substitute equivalent)

2 Tbls. cocoa powder (dutch processed)

Directions:
Make one cup of tea and set aside.  Mix together the milk, cocoa and sugar. in a small pot and heat on the stove.  Stir constantly to keep the milk from scalding.  Once the milk is hot add the tea and bring back to a simmer (no bubbles) and whisk the ingredients.  Pour into a mug and enjoy.  (Makes one super sized serving for one or two smaller servings to share.)


Alternative with instant mixes

Make 1 cup of instant cocoa with water from 1 cup of steeped tea.  Whisk the cocoa for a richness of flavor and enjoy with a cinnmon or peppermint stick.