Mad for Marshmallows, Hot for Chocolate
December 20, 2005

Almost two years ago now, I wrote about these enormous gourmet marshmallows that Mathra gave me for Christmas, but I seem to have never posted a picture. Unbelievable! Anyway, here's one to feast your eyes on.

Marshmallows

Aren't they gorgeous? Since I wrote that entry, I've found chocolate handmade marshmallows, as well as pink-striped ones that taste like peppermint. Recchiuti even makes a "S'Mores Kit" with handmade marshmallows that I've sent off to friends on more than one occasion. However, I do wish they would give you the option of regular graham crackers. Chocolate is all right in its place, but when you have too many chocolates competing all on one plate, the fineness of any single one gets rather lost. Recchiuti also sells the marshmallows alone, so you can do with them what you will -- be it roast, dunk, or top a sweet potato pie.

Speaking of things that are chocolate and delicious, I was lucky to be working the day of the Ferry Building hot chocolate tasting this past Sunday. $5.00 got you a flight of five different samples, and all proceeds went to CUESA. After working DIRECTLY across the hall from the hot chocolate station all day, we couldn't stand it any longer. One of the cheesemongers darted across and brought us back a flight. We all took small sips and passed judgment.

MIJITA Cocina Mexican's offering was a Mexican hot chocolate made with cinnamon and ground almonds. Delicious. It was milky, not overly sweet, and subtly spiced. Because it was such a different taste from the others, this was my favorite by far. I'll be ordering more of these during my lunch hours.

Peet's Coffee and Tea's peppermint hot chocolate was fine, but I swear I've had that same drink elsewhere...I know -- Starbucks! I'm sorry, it just wasn't anything special. It's not that it was awful but next to the others, it just didn't shine.

Recchiuti Confections' Parisian-Style Hot Chocolate. Wow. Blew my socks off. To say it was thick doesn't even describe the density of this hot chocolate. Basically, it was pure melted chocolate with, like, a TABLESPOON of heavy cream to "thin" it. They scoff at powder mixes, do the Recchiuti lot, and use chocolate pistoles instead. I'm not entirely certain about this, but I do think that pistoles are just schmancy "chips." But hey, they're Recchiuti, so as far as me and my chocolate habit are concerned, they can call them whatever they damn well please. This hot chocolate didn't beat out MIJITA's offering because it was so rich, it filled my chocolate quotient for the next few months. I had to take it in teeny tiny sips, it was that overwhelming. Definitely once-a-year delicious. They do get Nice Neighbor points for giving us their leftovers, though. We were so high on chocolate, the place was spotless five minutes after closing time.

Scharffen Berger's Scharffen Berger Hot Cocoa was another great one. More on the dark chocolate side, which is the way I prefer my all chocolate, it rolled over my tongue like bittersweet velvet, managing to be rich and weighty without being too heavy and sensory overloading.

MarketBar's Bound to be Famous Hot Chocolate is bound to be not. It was bland, overly sweet, and very, very thin in the mouth. And that name? Can you say, "HUUUUUUUBRIS"?

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