Archives for February 2019

Creative Spirits: Bourbon Hot Chocolate

February 24, 2019 By Allison

On the rare occasion that someone tells me they are not fond of chocolate, I wonder what is wrong with them. How could someone not love rich, decadent chocolate desserts? A chewy brownie, a slab of homemade chocolate cake, or a square of dark chocolate as an afternoon pick-me-up…

Of course, high-quality chocolate can be rich, dense, and overwhelming. I can’t count the number of times I have given myself terrible stomachaches by overindulging in chocolate. As an adult, though, I’ve learned to be more measured in my chocolate consumption. I’ve never been a daily consumer of chocolate. I just needed to learn not to overdo it on the rare occasion that I bake a cake or a pan of brownies. If I bake and give it away, there won’t be any chocolate to tempt me back into the kitchen in the evening. If I freeze squares of brownies, I’ll forget that they’re in the freezer.

Another way to moderate my chocolate passion is through bourbon hot chocolate. My recipe makes two espresso-sized servings. One serving satisfies my craving, I serve the other to a friend, and since there are no leftovers, there is no risk of a tummy ache. Serving this treat in vintage demitasse cups makes the occasion and the dessert feel special.

This is an old-fashioned hot chocolate that comes together in about five minutes. With only three ingredients, it makes a quick, impromptu late afternoon treat or an elegant, unctuous dessert. Use the best bittersweet chocolate you can find. When I used Vietnamese chocolate from Eritaj, my hot chocolate was earthy and nuanced. My favorite grocery store chocolate is Green and Black’s 70% Organic Dark Chocolate Bar. Don’t shy away from whole milk, as it makes the hot chocolate deliciously creamy. But if you have none, use 2% or skim milk. The bourbon adds a honeyed sweetness that helps marry the chocolate and the milk. Skipping the bourbon is no problem if you prefer to keep your hot chocolate alcohol-free.

If, God forbid, you do happen to be one of those people who just isn’t into chocolate, you may want to try my Maple Pecan Tea Toddy. It is warm, sweet, and comforting without the richness of bourbon hot chocolate.

Bourbon Hot Chocolate

Created by aconnolly24 on February 24, 2019

Yield: 2
Category: Celebrations, Small Bites, Sweets, Tea and other Drinks

Ingredients

1 c whole milk
2 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. bourbon, optional

Instructions

Heat the milk in a small saucepan, without bringing to a boil.
When the milk is hot, remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, return to heat and cook at a very low boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Do not step away during this time.
Remove from heat. Stir in optional bourbon.
Serve warm in demitasse cups.

Love Musings

February 16, 2019 By Allison

Photo courtesy of Shelley Richardson

Those who love use their imagination to discover solutions where others see only problems. Those who love help others according to their needs and with creativity, not according to preconceived ideas or common conceptions.
–Pope Francis

Valentine’s Day can be fraught. Although I see the holiday as a sweet reminder to celebrate all kinds of love, I understand the loneliness that can accompany this overwhelming greeting card day. It is difficult to be alone on Valentine’s Day when you feel like everyone you know is sharing a cozy dinner with their sweetheart. I have been in that sad emotional space, but several years ago, I released those feelings of inadequate solitude because they were holding me back.

Love is so much more than chocolate, flowers, and candle-lit meals! We have a responsibility to inhabit love—to be love—each day. Love is a powerfully creative act: “Those who love help others according to their needs and with creativity.” It is a dynamic, ever-evolving energy that moves us through our days. Love involves interplay, cooperation, and patience. It is neither formulaic nor superficial. It is practical, messy, and beautiful. As I have written before, love is our duty and our pleasure.

Love is too abundant, too expansive to be contained in one grey February day. Maybe it is a bit silly to dedicate one day of the year to a concept that is so vast yet so vague, but I am content to embrace Valentine’s Day as a moment to celebrate love and to reevaluate my thoughts on love. This year, I recommit to allowing the energy of love, whatever unexpected or unconventional form it may take.

Tiny Tea Set, Lively Energy of Life

February 8, 2019 By Allison

In the realm of space, your life is nothing but the lively energy of life, interconnecting with everything.
–Dainin Katagiri

Every so often, I spread the pieces of my childhood tea set on my bed. It’s in pitiful shape—broken, glued, re-broken, re-glued. I love that I played so hard with these tiny, clumsy cups and plates. I almost remember my gracious, chubby fingers pouring imaginary tea as I brushed wisps of long, brown hair out of my eyes. I can almost see myself breaking piece after piece in my basement playroom.

No one in my family drank tea, so I must have created my own imaginary tea stories. I don’t recall my solo tea parties, yet when I lay my hands on the shards, I access the lively energy of life that children incarnate. This cherished energy still resides deep inside me. Light, open, and expansive, this part of me responds to people who are patient and curious. Sometimes I forget the connections that defy time and geography, but the energy of this homely wabi-sabi children’s tea set transcends place, space, and culture. Through it, I recall that it was a gift from Grandma Rose Mary. She couldn’t have known that tea would become my language and my passion. In this sense, her gift of imaginary tea was prophetic. Grandma’s gift allowed me to create my first tea rituals and to explore what it might mean to share tea with others. My tea rituals have evolved, but I embrace the awkwardness of human connection as it plays out over shared tea moments.

In the realm of space, my life is nothing but the lively energy of life, interconnecting with everything.