664939 Thu Nov 05 11:08:11 -0800 2009 51 31 Home Cooking 0 5158488 ...and if it's a hit, we'll replay it on Christmas. Hello. I need some ideas here if you can help. Thanksgiving will be at our daughters house this year. Many will be dropping in throughout the day. It'll be cool, with much cooking happening all day long. She has a really long bar in her house, that's perfect for setting up a hot chocolate or hot cocoa bar. People can help themselves but I need ideas on how to do it or set it up. I remember seeing Jacques Torres on some tv show making his hot cocoa. He used some kind of custard powder, whatever that is, that made it really thick and rich looking as well as other spices both hot and sweet. I'm not sure how to do this or if it'd even work. The family has always been into collecting coffee mugs so husband decided to make a mug tree from floor to about 6 feet tall. We'll hang our collectibles there. People are being asked to either bring their own mug or use one of ours [and/or] bring one ingredient for the perfect addition to a hot cocoa bar. Any ideas? Plus, any clue about Mr. Torres' ingredient of custard powder? TIA Thu Nov 05 11:08:11 -0800 2009 23096 iL Divo 1 5158540 yum - what a great idea. Not sure about the custard powder. I immediately started thinking of "toppings". Some ideas: whipped cream, fluff, marshmallows , cinnamon, chili or cayenne (for those who like Mexican chocolate), vanilla, shaved dark/milk/white chocolate. So many choices! Thu Nov 05 11:21:47 -0800 2009 5158488 249405 elfcook 1 5158553 For holding hot chocolate for service, you'll need "air pots" (Thermos-equipped pitchers) to keep it hot. I'm not aware of any hot chocolate that one could keep in a crock pot or coffee pot type affair -- the burner will scorch it. Beside the ubiquitous whipped cream, I'd offer a variety of spiced sugars to go into the chocolate (you'll have to decide if you want to serve it unsweetened and allow guests the choice of sugar, seasoned sugar, or a sugar substitute, for that matter). I've seen mint candy canes served with cocoa (I'm not crazy about the chocolate/mint combination). Sadly, I can't give you any assistance with the custard powder you mention. To thicken hot chocolate, the thickener that comes to my mind is arrowroot powder. Use it sparingly. Bird's custard powder mix uses corn starch as a thickener. Perhaps you want to experiment with thickeners to get the consistency you want? I just now thought to suggest placing a vanilla bean in the milk you scald to make the chocolate. One thing that you *can* put in a crock pot, however, is mulled cider (just take apple cider and heat it up with cloves, cinnamon stick and allspice berries). I add a little brown sugar and some orange rind. The smell of the open pot of cider is just divine for the holidays. Thu Nov 05 11:25:03 -0800 2009 5158488 270888 shaogo 2 5158916 I guess my mileage must vary ;-) because I've used a crockpot to keep hot chocolate warm for fall/winter parties with no problems. I did stir it from time to time (when I happened to walk by), but it didn't burn or scorch at all. That said, I think using an air pot or a coffeepot is much less messy than the ladle and crockpot. Thu Nov 05 13:12:21 -0800 2009 5158553 18072 Niki in Dayton 3 5168012 Yeah, I've done it in a crock pot as well. On low. Of course, i only needed to hold it for a couple of hours, maybe it would have eventually scorched. Might I suggest a low-fat version? I make hot cocoa (Valhrona powder is very chocolaty) w/ skim milk and it's delicious. This for people who want to drink in quantity. Then as a contrast , you could serve (hopefully smaller cups) of the super rich stuff made from melted chocolate and half and half. And I vote for homemeade marshmallows, or some purchased from City Bakery (NYC) Mon Nov 09 13:52:07 -0800 2009 5158916 10471 danna 1 5158643 You two are powerhouses. Thank you for helping me out. I would have never known not to use a few crock pots, so am so thankful. I am also not a fan of chocolate and mint together, but our darling little GD loves the flavor so will do some candy canes hanging from the mug tree or maybe put the little kids' mugs low down with only the canes there. love the kinds of ingredients mentioned. I have cinnamon sugar, peach sugar, cherry sugar, ginger sugar and vanilla sugar. I was hoping to do a couple of kinds of cocoa with milk, a lighter version in flavor and then a deeper darker version. this could end up being a tradition, I like that idea Thu Nov 05 11:46:06 -0800 2009 5158488 23096 iL Divo 2 5159829 I really enjoy Mexican hot chocolate. It has a few spices in I think - cinnamon and a touch of cayenne? It's delicious. Thu Nov 05 19:13:56 -0800 2009 5158643 142336 rtms 3 5191617 I've tried it with cinnamon and cayenne. Last time I got too creative and added white pepper, too. It was awful. Had to toss the whole batch and start over. I ultimately prefer plain hot chocolate made with high quality cocoa powder and maybe a touch of creme de cacao. Wed Nov 18 09:47:57 -0800 2009 5159829 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5158695 I'd start with three different kinds of hot chocolate - white, dark, and regular milk chocolate. For dry toppings: marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, white chocolate shavings, sprinkles, chocolate powder and cinnamon. Sauces/syrups: Caramel sauce, cinnamon syrup, and raspberry syrup. And of course - whipped cream. Thu Nov 05 12:02:21 -0800 2009 5158488 56183 soypower 1 5158813 You can buy a coffee urn with a spout and set it on the bar. Some can hold a TON of hot cocoa. Its an elegant presentation and it's got a spout- no need to ladle out of a crockpot. Also, I would make chocolate and white chocolate dipped spoons. Perfect for stirring in add ins and very pretty. Thu Nov 05 12:36:06 -0800 2009 5158488 217807 cheesecake17 2 5159809 I second the coffee urn idea; I have a two gallon one that I used for chocolate and it didn't burn or separate. Of course, if you want to do different flavors, you might want to consider insulated pots like restaurants use when they leave a coffee pot at your table. You can find them in restaurant supply houses or online. Or, if you have family & friends with these items, ask to borrow them. They don't have to match. I love the hot chocolate idea by the way. Thu Nov 05 19:01:54 -0800 2009 5158813 1108638 Cherylptw 2 5159977 ok, this is to cheesecake and cherlyptw, what the Sam is a coffee urn? "splain" please :) Thu Nov 05 20:43:20 -0800 2009 5158813 23096 iL Divo 3 5160022 This is a coffee urn: http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=216376&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fshop there are various kinds, but this looks just like the one my parents had 30 years ago. Thu Nov 05 21:14:42 -0800 2009 5159977 14819 cookie monster 4 5160042 http://search.lionsdeal.com/search?p=Q&lbc=lionsdeal&uid=552982516&ts=custom&w=vacuum%20server&af=&method=and&view=grid&isort=price&gclid=CNqinabR9Z0CFShGagodwg9MqQ ah, yes just like my church has. Thu Nov 05 21:27:06 -0800 2009 5160022 23096 iL Divo 5 5160667 maybe you can borrow it from your church if they're not using it. if not, it's a good item to have anyway if you entertain often.. my inlaws have two- they use them for coffee, hot water, or hot cocoa. Fri Nov 06 07:41:28 -0800 2009 5160042 217807 cheesecake17 1 5158827 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EHZZT0 ...not that you need a case of eight boxes..but this is the custard powder. Thu Nov 05 12:40:36 -0800 2009 5158488 36312 HillJ 2 5159988 thanks for that. now I know what it looks like. never heard of it before and I could be wrong about JT and his recipe when I watched it. but if it's sugar, cornflour and a bit of salt, I could start playing with recipes on my days off. Thu Nov 05 20:52:01 -0800 2009 5158827 23096 iL Divo 1 5158860 If you are into experimenting for the adults also do try ginger and hot pepper versions of hot chocolate. And you haven't mentioned it so maybe you like to keep an alcohol-free household, but a touch of Baileys or amaretto or an orange liqueure goes down well with hot chocolate, too. Thu Nov 05 12:52:24 -0800 2009 5158488 24738 LJS 2 5158975 Also, being addicted to the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate at Starbucks last year - they don't have it this year :( , get some great coarse sea salt, along with your caramel sauce. And I have never, ever passed up the opportunity to put Bailey's or Peppermint Schnapps in hot chocolate. But custard powder is usually found in the baking section or around the boxed jellos/puddings in the grocery store. Sounds like a lot of fun. Thu Nov 05 13:31:42 -0800 2009 5158860 155664 foodie_guru 3 5159758 Seriously that stuff was so amazing! I worked at the bucks during that time and must have consumed gallons of it... Thu Nov 05 18:40:31 -0800 2009 5158975 176882 carlee134 3 5168028 Really? they aren't going to have it this year? I suppose that's good...I loved it SO...until I read the nutrition facts. JEBUS! How can a drink made w/ skim milk have 20 fat grams? Apparently the caramel syrup didn't taste "buttery" for nothing. Mon Nov 09 13:54:15 -0800 2009 5158975 10471 danna 2 5159995 ah ginger, hadn't thought of using that, but I have several frozen so tomorrow if it's cold outside, I need to experiment for sure. hadn't even thought of doing alcohol. but now that you mention it, has anyone ever been to seattle and up to their ski lodges during a winter storm and had a "face plant"? it's 151 rum, hot cocoa, creme de minthe and whipping cream, oh my goodness is it ever good... Thu Nov 05 20:57:14 -0800 2009 5158860 23096 iL Divo 3 5170172 that sounds yummy! Tue Nov 10 09:47:57 -0800 2009 5159995 50431 chef chicklet 1 5159075 Sounds like fun. Definitely start with unsweetened chocolate/high quality cocoa powder, if possible, as people have different preferences with respect to sweetness. Some canisters of whipping cream, plus lots of milk, heavy cream, etc., so people can adjust to the right creaminess. Other ideas: Chai hot chocolate Chocolate orange hot chocolate Egg nog hot chocolate Bailley's/Kahlua/Chocolate liqueur hot chocolate (for the adults!) Candycane hot chocolate (mint addition) Rocky road hot chocolate - caramel drizzle, marshmallows Hot chocolate floats - with a scoop of ice cream Chocolate settles fast, so whatever container is being used will need regular stirring/shaking to keep things afloat. Thu Nov 05 14:02:47 -0800 2009 5158488 19782 Full tummy 2 5160005 I watched Sam the Cooking guy today on Discovery channel. he was in Hong Kong and they served a drink of 1/2 tea and half coffee with cream. your chai hot chocolate reminded me of that. love all the ideas. about the chocolate settling, are the air pots from the 70"s the kind with a "straw" in them that sucks the liquid from the bottom of the pot? if so, would there still be a need to stir if it always picks up from the bottom? is an airpot like used in AMPM's with their various flavors of coffee already made? you know, there is like a double shelf with 3 on top and 3 on the bottom with names on all of them....oh I'm rambling now........:( Thu Nov 05 21:03:41 -0800 2009 5159075 23096 iL Divo 3 5160029 Gosh, I don't know anything about that... I guess you'd just need to check on whatever contraption you settle on for keeping things hot, hahaha. Thu Nov 05 21:18:27 -0800 2009 5160005 19782 Full tummy 3 5175994 just in case anyone needed this here's an Air Pot http://www.atlantafixture.com/Summary.aspx?CurrentCategory=10751&gclid=CNXr0PeJhp4CFaM45Qodpk93pg Thu Nov 12 10:25:15 -0800 2009 5160005 40385 othervoice 1 5160360 So many great ideas already. You could make balls of flavored ganache (mint, cayenne, plain, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, etc.) that people can add to their hot chocolate. It makes the hot chocolate really rich and creamy. And/or you could do dipped spoons in chocolate for stirring. Fri Nov 06 05:36:44 -0800 2009 5158488 39874 chowser 2 5161016 I have always used crocks set on low with no issue, however always had an issue with the urn...the rich chocolate settled to the bottom and scorched, big time! what a mess to clean up. Mine does not have a thermostat, just on (high) or off. Not sure if you're a drinking crowd but a little ameretto or Bailey's wouldn't hurt the adults Fri Nov 06 09:29:59 -0800 2009 5160360 1100410 momoftwo 2 5170178 Or a chocolate covered cherry chocolate biscotti... Tue Nov 10 09:49:59 -0800 2009 5160360 50431 chef chicklet 1 5161923 This is such a great idea. Last time I was in LA, one of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf locations had a crazy amount of different things to add to drinks. They had crushed candy canes, several types of salt, cayenne, all sorts of different spices and a bunch of other things. Perhaps someone on here is familiar with what they have or you could call them. It's the location on South Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. They had a lot of fun and yummy stuff. I'm sure they'd be happy to tell you what they've got so you could get some more ideas. Have fun! Fri Nov 06 14:12:04 -0800 2009 5158488 12426 janehathaway 1 5162206 There is already going to be alcohol set up at the bar with the usuals that have been mentioned here. If people want to juhzzzzz it up they're more than welcome to do so. I'd like to make rock can't spoons but have no idea how and love the chocolate spoons idea. So hint hint hint about rock candy spoons se vu plea. About the urns or pots, I have an airpot and am sure I can get another so I'll use them. To all y'all thank you so much :) Fri Nov 06 15:40:18 -0800 2009 5158488 23096 iL Divo 1 5162223 this may be what you were referring to but i don't see any custard. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/653094 personally, i am planning to make up a batch of the cooks illustrated hot chocolate which is hush hush since they try to charge you on their website if you want the recipe. chowhound listed the ratios for the ingredients though and i have heard it is delicious. The pulverized white chocolate chips are unique and sound yummy!! i would make the cocoa slightly more bitter than average and let people tweak it to their taste. i love slightly bitter hot cocoa (i drink it everyday!) and people can enjoy more of it this way. maybe provide some chocolate candies to mix in for the sugar lovers in the crowd. http://www.chow.com/grinder/3901 good luck! -L Fri Nov 06 15:52:10 -0800 2009 5158488 254227 whitel 1 5162279 iL Divo, any thought to homemade marshmallows? There are some super simple recipes and an awful lot of flavor choices. For instance: http://www.slashfood.com/2006/10/24/how-to-make-homemade-marshmallows/ Fri Nov 06 16:23:33 -0800 2009 5158488 36312 HillJ 2 5162671 I have seen them made on tv several times and they seem very time consuming and sticky and difficult to make. they also look delicious. I'll check out and see how hard they are by watching the video, thanks......... and to hummingbird I did pull that up myself and it's not the one I'm thinking of since there is no mention of the custard powder in this video, < darn it Fri Nov 06 21:05:57 -0800 2009 5162279 23096 iL Divo 1 5162364 If you have a bit, well maybe I should say a lot of time to peruse check this out, there is even one of a video of Jacques explaining it to you: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=3&oq=Jacques+Torres+&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS335US346&q=jacques+torres+hot+chocolate Have fun! Fri Nov 06 17:10:41 -0800 2009 5158488 14620 hummingbird 1 5164433 Just a thought... At our cafe, we put chocolate sauce in the cup, pour steamed milk over and stir. So it might be best have an urn with just steamed milk (and/or soy & rice milk for the lactose intolerant) and keep some melted chocolate in the crockpot to combine just before consuming. This would alleviate any problems with the chocolate pooling on the bottom of the urn. Sat Nov 07 21:19:15 -0800 2009 5158488 56183 soypower 1 5164466 How about using a chocolate fountain for hot chocolate? It will keep the mixture warm, mixed, and make a great focal point. Not sure about the custard powder...was it malted powder, maybe? Or powdered milk? Sat Nov 07 21:48:15 -0800 2009 5158488 1120942 dawnviola 1 5164684 lots of great ideas, and i know guests love these sorts of interactive stations. slightly off-topic, but may i suggest renting or buying a black or very dark-colored tablecloth? if you use white or light, it will be stained and unsightly looking, splashes, slops and spills, in minutes flat. unless you have somebody in charge of wiping the bar down all day. same goes for maintaining the vessels for all your toppings. Sun Nov 08 05:25:32 -0800 2009 5158488 30273 hotoynoodle 2 5175364 as smart as I think I am with certain things, this would have evaded me all together. thank you a hundred times over for this suggestion. you'll laugh but I'm going to see if I can find some inexpensive black or very dark table runners that I can sew together for a larger size & saving money by not buying a black tablecloth. I'll report with my find. So far we know of 36 coming. and cheesymama, I have more extracts that any one person should own. I don't want to muddle my idea, so won't be putting out the extracts per say, but will have them in sauces and flavored creams and sugars. Not sure if that's what you meant or not. Thu Nov 12 07:39:13 -0800 2009 5164684 23096 iL Divo 3 5191561 If you look at discount stores you can often find a table cloth for next to nothing. Besides, there is a strong possibility that this will become a holiday tradition and you'll be pulling that black cloth out again and again! What a fun idea, iL Divo. Anxious to hear the report. Wed Nov 18 09:32:30 -0800 2009 5175364 127625 fern 4 5194957 I have already bought about 5 runners in Autumn motif from Home Matters. They are lovely. I have many leaves I've been collecting along with pines from the neighborhood, it's gonna be a fun experience. Our daughter's really getting into the idea now too and it's at her house so she's trying to pitch in ideas too. Right now while on computer I need to find out how to make rock candy spoons. Thu Nov 19 15:29:48 -0800 2009 5191561 23096 iL Divo 5 5195098 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/rock-candy-recipe-how-to-make-rock-candy.html Rock Candy primer, several methods. Have fun, iL Divo! Thu Nov 19 16:42:29 -0800 2009 5194957 36312 HillJ 6 5203249 thanks HillJ since I'm just now checking back on this, it's too late if it takes about a week. but it sure looks like fun to try and not hard either, oh heck it's worth a try, I have all the things mentioned. would butchers twine work for the cotton string I wonder? Mon Nov 23 13:53:45 -0800 2009 5195098 23096 iL Divo 1 5167551 I watched a holiday baking show this morning and they did a segment on hot chocolate. One of her ideas was to steep a tea bag in a mug of hot chocolate. Also I would have some strong brewed coffee or even instant espresso powder to add to the hot chocolate. You could also have some flavour extracts such as vanilla, almond, orange, etc. Mon Nov 09 11:34:53 -0800 2009 5158488 43422 cheesymama 2 5175391 Not sure if you have solved your mystery surrounding custard powder, however, it is something that is a necessity in a Canadian tradition, Nanaimo Bars. As I mentioned previously, I find it in the jello/baking aisles, in a tin. I have attached this blurb I googled, in case you can use a substitute. Hope this helps. "Custard Powder looks a lot like cornstarch or cornflour, and in fact, is made from cornflour. It also has annatto coloring (from the achiote tree), salt and other flavorings. The cook combines several tablespoons of the custard powder with sugar and enough milk to form a paste. The paste is then slowly added to hot milk and stirred until completely dissolved. The result is a thick custard sauce, not identical to traditional egg custard, but still good over cake, pudding or other desserts. An Englishman named Alfred Bird came up with custard powder in 1837 because his wife was allergic to eggs. His custard powder caught on and by 1844, his company was producing custard powder for the whole of England. “Bird’s Custard Powder” is an English tradition, in fact, and is used all over the country. Custard powder is sometimes used for cookies, and one recipe online uses it for the cookies themselves and for the filling inside! Some cooks also add fruit to the custard mixture, for a fruit custard, and it can also be used in recipes calling for a cream filling. The key to making a thinner or thicker custard is the proportion of custard powder to milk. More custard powder will thicken the mixture, while more milk will thin it. It all depends on the recipe and the desired results. Some recipes call for a custard that will come set in a tart shell, which would necessitate a thicker custard, for example. " Thu Nov 12 07:45:33 -0800 2009 5167551 155664 foodie_guru 3 5176236 foodie guru, you're a wealth of knowledge, who knew any of that? < not me. thanks for helping me understand the purpose of the stuff. you can understand why watching someone as brill as JT, I would remember his ingredient and was bound to find some, which I did. Pix below................................. <.........................................>.........I hope Ok it didn't work. it says my photo isn't recognized as some kind of file. it's a jpeg, so oh well Thu Nov 12 11:47:03 -0800 2009 5175391 23096 iL Divo 1 5175495 if you're like me and enjoy the contrast of salty and sweet (bacon and chocolate), you can try this for dunking in hot cocoa: make crispy bacon sandwiches, roll flat and cut into 2 inch strips, dip in a *sweet* tempura batter and fry. Thu Nov 12 08:13:54 -0800 2009 5158488 1106176 epabella 2 5176202 OML, I just gained 29 lbs AND I LIKED IT :) Thu Nov 12 11:34:25 -0800 2009 5175495 23096 iL Divo 3 5176382 don't worry about gaining so many pounds, you'll shed them as your entertain your guests who enjoy your party. the sweet tempura batter will also work on PB-and-J sandwiches. just don't spread too much PB-and-J so when you roll them flat, the filling won't ooze out. you can also try PB-and-almond flakes as well. for extra-energy, dust the finished "dunk-ables" with powdered sugar. Thu Nov 12 12:26:51 -0800 2009 5176202 1106176 epabella 1 5176239 this isn't clabber girl like mine but can't get mine to upload or download or whatever the word is. I wanted to show anyone what kind "I" got but to no avail, sorry Thu Nov 12 11:49:47 -0800 2009 5158488 23096 iL Divo 1 5191511 I'm happy to have found these, both $1.99, ugly I agree but I have ideas of how to dress them up it's turkey material and also fall leaf material, with thick twine so they'll be covered. When I showed them to my girlfriend she loved hiding the ugliness and also told me "oh I have one of those do you want it too?" so yeah, now I have three and that's all I'll need for the bar, we'll refill as needed, can't wait Wed Nov 18 09:20:41 -0800 2009 5158488 23096 iL Divo