299760 Wed Feb 02 10:19:34 -0800 2005 26 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1662536 calling all chocolate lovers: what are some of the best brands of cocoa (for drinking) that you can think of? Thank you! Wed Feb 02 10:19:34 -0800 2005 0 amy 1 1662545 I like Nestle's Abeulita (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) Mexican hot chocolate drink. It is a disc of chocolate, with cinnamon and sugar that you melt in hot milk. It is sold in a hexagaonal, red and yellow box. Ibara also makes one, and I think that the Nestle's brand is a copy of theirs. I know my spelling is poor today, but just look for the odd shaped, red and yellow box!!! Enjoy! Wed Feb 02 12:08:33 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Drew 2 1662580 "It is sold in a hexagaonal, red and yellow box. Ibara also makes one" The hexagonal box is Ibarra. Wed Feb 02 18:55:56 -0800 2005 1662545 0 Caitlin McGrath 3 1662587 They both have a hexagonal box. And I like both Abuelita and Ibarra equally, my favvs actually.. Wed Feb 02 19:45:36 -0800 2005 1662580 0 The Rogue 3 1662602 I guess you haven't seen the nestle product. Thu Feb 03 02:26:43 -0800 2005 1662580 0 drew 4 1662683 Iapologize for the error - I haven't seen Abuelita in a hexagonal box, just a standard box. Fri Feb 04 14:07:31 -0800 2005 1662602 0 ChowNews 1 1662547 Williams and Sonoma makes the best hot cocoa I have had by far. Wed Feb 02 12:23:04 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Janet 2 1662563 I got a box of this for Christmas and have to agree. This is the best homemade hot chocolate i have ever had. It comes as shavings to which you add hot milk. The set i got also included some excellent marshmellows which melt into the drink making it even better. The only downside is that is too rich so you can only take it in small doses, well that abd the price which I think was around $18. Wed Feb 02 15:12:51 -0800 2005 1662547 0 MV 1 1662560 Are you looking for hot cocoa (made from cocoa) or hot chocolate (made from chocolate)? There have been several long discussions about the latter on this board over the winter, so you might want to scroll down. Wed Feb 02 14:37:00 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Ruth Lafler 2 1662562 Cocoa in powder form. I've heard that Valrhona makes a good product, but I've never tried it. The goal, I suppose, is to get it to taste like they make it in Europe...it's just not the same here! Regardless, I'll check out the other discussions you mentioned as well - I am sure they will be very helpful also. Wed Feb 02 15:04:32 -0800 2005 1662560 0 amy 3 1662907 I don't know if Valhrona makes a cocoa mix(suagar added) , but their cocoa powder is fantastic. I buy it in bulk from Chocosphere. It is twice as dark as Hersheys. Tue Feb 08 08:25:18 -0800 2005 1662562 0 danna 1 1662564 make your own- it's really no more time consuming or difficult than opening a package- a teaspoon dutch process cocoa powder (droste's or similiar), 2 teaspoons sugar, a little bit of heavy cream at the bottom of the mug. stir and fill with hot water. viola. Wed Feb 02 15:16:38 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Tamar G 1 1662565 With regard to your request for Hot cocoa, here are some previous suggestions that came up on earlier discussions (As Ruth has suggested, I agree that you will have to do a more detailed search on the General / Craving / Best boards as am sure there is a wealth of info around there (Do let us know what your search reveals): Swiss Miss Lite : Instant hot cocoa L'Ancienne Mariebelle (drinking chocolate) www.mariebelle.com A poster in 2003 said that Jacques Torres' place in DUMBO is great. The poster at the time bought a tin of his reg hot chocolate at $22 and compared it to liquid crack. ps: BTW What exactly is this place DUMBO ? Never been to NY hence DUMBO to me means either the Disney elephant or a word which I think lightheartedly reprsents a foolish person. Wed Feb 02 15:36:36 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Amin (London Foodie) 2 1662567 Real estate brokers love acronyms Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Underpass, or Dumbo. Wed Feb 02 15:45:57 -0800 2005 1662565 0 MV 2 1662568 DUMBO is an acronym for "Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass." Gualeguetza, the famous Oaxacan restaurant chain in Los Angeles, sells Mexican hot chocolate disks that dissolve as you whisk it into gently boiling hot milk. My friend tells me they cost pennies in Oaxaca, and at the restaurant, they're $15 per package of 16 or 18 disks, but so good! Wed Feb 02 15:46:57 -0800 2005 1662565 0 AppleSister 2 1662588 I tried Torres Cocoa just a few weeks ago and didn't care for it much, and it's way, way overpriced. Basically, like everything he makes. Wed Feb 02 19:48:44 -0800 2005 1662565 0 The Rogue 1 1662572 I mix my own from unsweetened cocoa. Hershey's works fine. The trick is to use a lot more chocolate than the container recipe says to(at least double), and add dashes of vanilla and cinnamon. Wed Feb 02 17:22:39 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Lee 2 1662574 And use a whisk to mix and froth, instead of just a spoon. The last time I made cocoa I used Droste's, and it was rich and delicious (even with non-fat milk). Wed Feb 02 17:43:20 -0800 2005 1662572 0 LBQT 3 1662596 Yum, Droste. I love their chocolate pastilles but don't think I have ever used their powder to make cocoa. I will check it out. Thanks! And a whisk is a good idea, although I usually just use a spoon. Somewhere in the back of my utensil drawer, I think I have a miniature whisk which would work great for this. Wed Feb 02 22:57:42 -0800 2005 1662574 0 Lee 2 1662578 HMmmmmmmmmmm...$18.00 for a box of hot chocolate!!! And defiling it with Marshmellows to boot! Sorry -I'm not slamming those that enjoy that particular concoction, just mentioning my personal preferences. I make my own with the same recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa box but I use Dutch Process Cocoa (extra than the recipe states, but can't tell you how much - I just add more until it looks right), Whole Milk, a pinch of cinnamon and a smidge of Double strength Vanilla. I use the old fashioned method of cooking it on the stove. There is something satifying about stirring it and adding all the love that makes it special. Boiling water and box mixes be damned! Wed Feb 02 18:47:56 -0800 2005 1662572 0 Hungry Girl 3 1662595 I agree; I've never found a mix that I thought tasted really good. I heat my milk in the microwave and then add it to the other ingredients. Preparation hint that would work for either method: I add only a little of the hot milk to the dry ingredients, just enough to mix everything into a chocolate sludge. Then I gradually add the rest of the milk, stirring the entire time. This keeps the cocoa from floating to the top, and makes it MUCH easier to mix (no powder-filled blobs). This is the same technique I use for any recipe that involves mixing powders with liquids. Wed Feb 02 22:51:12 -0800 2005 1662578 0 Lee 1 1662581 For Christmas, I got some malted hot cocoa mix made with Valhrona cocoa powder from an on-line company called Tiny Trapeze. It was really good! I don't think it is cheap but it was a nice gift. Wed Feb 02 18:57:02 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Darlene 1 1662593 Cadbury's Drinking Chocolate was not sold in the United States until recently but it's so good I used to order it from England. Now there are online vendors of UK grocery products that will deliver it from a US warehouse using UPS. (Google to Cadbury's Drinking Chocolate). Wed Feb 02 22:05:19 -0800 2005 1662536 0 N Tocus 1 1662641 My "recipe" (can be made with any dry cocoa powder; I use Pernigotti's): 3 heaping tablespoonfuls of cocoa powder (you can use less but I like a strong cocoa flavor) 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or a little bit more) pinch salt pinch red pepper flakes (for heat) 2 cups milk (any kind) sugar to taste optional: small pinch of ground cloves Put dry ingredients in a saucepan, add some of the milk, whisk into a sludge. Put on med heat and add remaining milk, whisking; bring to a boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve before drinking. Thu Feb 03 16:35:01 -0800 2005 1662536 0 Sir Gawain 1 1662942 Green and Black's organic cocoa (a UK company), mixed with a little honey or sugar, cinnamon, perhaps some marshmallows if I'm feeling kid-like. A base of steaming hot milk, topped up with hot water, stirred with a mini whisk. Every day I drink this after my run. Cocoa (not hot chocolate) was written up in Runner's World (I think) for it's recovery benefits, as an antioxidant, etc. (when mixed with milk and a natural sweetener). The milk has a near perfect ratio of protein, carbohydate and fat for workout recovery. And it's YUM! Tue Feb 08 14:35:01 -0800 2005 1662536 0 jill 1 1663532 Dagoba organic, smooth and rich. And I especially like that it has no nasty aftertaste. Although I also like Green and Black's. There is nothing quite like a little hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Link: http://www.bainbridgefarms.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=26 Sun Feb 20 12:41:07 -0800 2005 1662536 0 TerriM 1 1663559 i make mine w/ valrhona cocoa powder, sugar, cookbook vanilla, milk. delish. Sun Feb 20 23:01:56 -0800 2005 1662536 0 westsidegal