Mostly Hot Chocolate and Sugar Cookies
It started snowing this afternoon in Jasper – big, clumpy flakes that fell quickly, like wee snowballs, blowing sideways past the window in the main lodge. We were sitting by the stone fireplace, eating hot seafood chowder and sliders, after an hour or so of full-contact ping pong downstairs. Feel free to hate me a little bit.
It was a fitting reception for the first group arriving for Christmas in November. Chef Michael Smith arrived late in the afternoon with chef Paul Rogalski (of Rouge) followed by Ken Kostick and Karl Lohnes. Chris Standring arrived yesterday, like us, and Gail Hall and the crew from the Edmonton Journal. Next week Anna Olson will come, and one of my favourite ladies of all time – Elizabeth Baird, with her sidekick, Emily Richards. I’m so sad to be missing them. I’ll get over it. Perhaps another hot chocolate will help.
As guests arrived, giant silver tureens of real hot chocolate sat in waiting with bowls full of mini marshmallows and shaved white and dark chocolates alongside. Just inside the main door, a chef baked sugar cookies in the Rolls-Royce of all EasyBake ovens, a $5k little unit I used myself a few Christmas in Novembers ago. As she pulled them out, she dolled them up with icing and coloured sugar so that we’d have something warm to nibble on with our hot chocolate.
It was entrapment; forcing me to fill yet another cup with molten chocolate and chug it down. How could I not? Later, I added red wine (thanks Mission Hill!) to the mix, figuring they’d even each other out. There were also eggnog martinis, by the way, and a buffet so over the top I don’t even know how to start describing it. We’ll have it again on Monday night; I’ll try to summon the energy to tell you about it then. Maybe a hot chocolate will help.
I know I wax poetic on the subject of hot chocolate about every November, but it really is something that’s so dead easy to make, and yet so many people resort to the instant packaged stuff, which is full of all sorts of nastiness. Really, if you’re going to bother, it might as well be fantastic.
So here’s the Real Thing, to take you through winter right and proper.
Hot Chocolate Bisque
AuthorJulie
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and water over medium heat; whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture just to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate.
Blend right in the pot with a hand-held an immersion blender, or transfer it to a traditional blender. Blend for a minute, until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately; rewarm if you need to get it hot.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and water over medium heat; whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture just to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate.
Blend right in the pot with a hand-held an immersion blender, or transfer it to a traditional blender. Blend for a minute, until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately; rewarm if you need to get it hot.
One Year Ago: Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese with Pureed Veg
Waxing poetic about hot chocolate and cookies is pure evil for those of us stuck in the city. Having pictures makes it just plain cruel. Now I will have to whip up some hot chocolate tomorrow and instead of marshmallow, I am going to use whipped cream.
I know you will have a wonderful time, you always do. I look forward to living vicariously through more pictures and colourful descriptions of the weekend.
Wow snow already, eek! But you make it sounds so fun 🙂
How fun. A building full of chefs and yummy food. I’d be in heaven there 😉
Hot chocolate and snow—you’re ahead of us.
More cookbooks is always a good thing.
Sounds like you’re having the time of your life–or the year, anyway. I wouldn’t have been able to stay away from the hot chocolate, either.
Coincidently, I made Chef Michael Smith’s Southwestern Sweet Potato Soup – delicious! I did cut back on the chipotle pepper though. It called for one, but last time I made the soup I couldn’t get through more than 5 spoonfuls it was so hot!
So much fun! The hot chocolate sounds wonderful – as odd as it may sound, my favourite hot chocolate currently has protein powder in it!
We’re kind of addicted to Mexican hot chocolate down here and you remind me that I’ve yet to make it this year. Jasper, snow, Michael Smith, Ken Kostick – how lucky can you get? Would love the cookbooks!
whoah, that hot chocolate- seriously?. yum. last night dinner was lazy night. pasta with marinara sauce and focaccia. still good though.
Julie! I’ve been lurking for a while now, absolutely charmed by your site – perfection! Dinner last night was 101 Cookbook’s Giant White Beans with Chipotle, with about half the chipotle. Yum!
Wow, it seems like yesterday we were treated to your extravagant happenings at Christmas in November! I wish Niagara did something like that.
Imagine adding some ice wine to that hot chocolate!YUMMY
So hubby cooked up his scrambled eggs with every veggie in the fridge:carrots,scallions,broccoli,garlic(real Ontario garlic,the cloves are to die for,big and plump not like the dried out almost not fit for consumption imported stuff) sorry i digress, i am a hopeless promoter of all things local.
So the eggs were fantastic, i love the crunch of the carrots, he sautes them a bit before adding the eggs. and of course toast with butter. mm-mm and i made myself a real hot chocolate, who knew it went well with eggs!
Have a great time, looking forward to the buffet!
Jenn
Christmas in November just sounds amazing!!! I have recently discovered that I don’t just love Christmas, I’m crazy for it. I think it’s having children that’s brought it out in me! I find myself starting to think about it by September! It so happens my Birthday is November 13th and next year will be the big 3-0 so A weekend at “Christmas in November” is what I’m going to ask for!
The cookbooks sound awesome! Another one of my guilty pleasure and Michael Smith is one of my Favs!
I do hate you!! That sounds like a piece of heaven right there!!! Enjoy!
It makes me laugh, everytime you ask ‘what was for dinner last night’ because everytime I seem to have had homemade pizza…so now I think maybe I have a ‘pizza problem’… haaa.
Ok so let’s go with what I’m going to have for dinner tomorrow night…a spicy green bean, peanut and beef stir fry – quite spicy and yummy!
Have Fun Julie!
we had roasted cauliflower soup with walnut oil drizzled on top, sprinkled with roasted walnuts. and a chicken/swiss cheese panini. soup/sand. the ultimate friday night dinner.
It’s pouring in Victoria and has been for days so dinner last night was a big steaming bowl of pho and salad rolls with peanut sauce. Dessert was – sadly – left over Halloween candy.
Jasper sounds amazing!
David
Sounds like you’ve got some hard times ahead of you 🙂
Our supper last night was from WovenFare.com. When we do a wovenfare week, we don’t necessarily follow the days of the week they suggest, so last night was their “vegetarian” chunky chili… but my husband couldn’t imagine enjoying a veggie chili, so we added ground turkey.
I made your Seafood and Spinach Risotto last night but used chunks of Basa filets. It was great and easy, thanks for the recipe! Have fun in Jasper!
I am really into roasted veggies right now – current favourites are carrots (harvested from my friend’s garden), parsnips and sweet potato. Yummy! My husband and I just made a commitment to each other to be at Christmas in November next year! I read him this posting to your blog and he put up no resistance. See you next year beside the big vat of hot chocolate…
Just in case I’m the lucky cookbook winner I need to let you know that that last posting from anonymous was me – I sent it from my husband’s laptop.
Dinner last night was leftovers (for the third night, because our house has been stricken with illness, but we’re on the mend!) which was a pork tenderloin stuffed (and surrounded by) apples and cranberries, a recipe that I got from a Sobey’s handout last week. It turned out okay. It needed a little more…something. Maybe a glaze on top. But after dinner my 4 and 7 year old boys and I (my husband had a business dinner at Restaurant 27 last night which I was supposed to go to had I not been sick!) watched Chef Abroad and he was in the Hungarian countryside. They butchered a whole pig, made sausages, and showed off their homemade wine and paprika. We were fascinated. Well I was fascinated; the boys are just happy when the TV is on in general. There was a family meal at the end with all the different dishes they had made from the fattened pig, and one of the gentlemen pulled out his accordion and they all sang along, in Hungarian of course. One of the family members who was visiting from Canada (who hadn’t been back home for the celebration in 20+ years) started to tear up, and I started to tear up, too!
I am so jealous it sounds absolutely fantastic. I have to admit Chef Michael Smith is my favorite. Would love to win a cookbook.
Julie, I so envy you up there at the Lodge. I can see the places you describe and it is magical at this time of year. Bet W is enchanted. Dinner last night was home-made pizza. This time I put tiny meatballs on it, shredded mozzarella and for the fun of it, cut spirals of something called “Rotolino”. It’s a “Fresh Mozzarella Roll with Proscuitto and Basil”. It looked fab but out of the 450 degree oven, it had changed to resemble something like marshmallow, not the crispy melted cheese I would expect from “fresh mozza”. In this case, looks far out-performed taste! I won’t be using it again or not as a pizza topping anyway. Maybe it never should have been put into such a hot oven?!
I had never heard about Christmas in November til you blogged about it last year. It sounds fantastic – so much more relaxed than the mayhem of real Christmas in December! It’s on my wishlist to attend one year, but alas the boyfriend’s birthday is in November and he wants to be on a beach. I’ll have to wait til it’s my birthday – is there a Christmas in June?!?!
We had leftover beef stew made in the crockpot with beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, turnip, beef broth, barbecue sauce, beer and a little bit of bacon. Yummy.
I am getting so excited to be there I can hardly contain myself. Last night supper was your fab ribs that you rub and cook in a slow oven for 3 hours. They where so good as is I didn’t even bother to smother with barbecue sauce and grill. Yes and sweet potato fries and a big salad. Of course it needed a glass of wine to swill the whole lot down double yum
How fun! I definitely need to make Real hot chocolate this fall/winter. I don’t keep the instant stuff around at home, but the Real stuff looks worth the minimal trouble.
And who doesn’t love sugar cookies?
Dinner last night: Indian khichdi (rice with lentils), spicy lamb chops, and spicy okra
I was going to fib and say we had your ratatouille last night, but while that was truly delicious (vegan son – and always hungry – licked plate), that was Sunday. Last nights excuse for not cooking, besides being too tired as usual: too busy watching the BC Lions get their butts kicked in a last ditch attempt to make it to the playoffs(they lost but a small hope still remains – I know you don’t care).So we dined (?) on cut up veggies, fruit and cheese leftover in the fridge washed down with creamy tomato soup at hand (Campbells – sorry, I’m addicted). Love your blog and would Love Chef Michael’s new book as well. Cheers!
We had a homemade chicken pot pie with a flaky butter crust (2 crusts because really the crunchy crust is pretty much the best part- it was delicious and comforting!
YUM! Just what I need on this Saturday afternoon, hot chocolate and cookies 🙂
Oh Julie! This is my favourite week to live vicariously through you! Michael Smith is truly my favourite Canadian chef (after you of course). I’d like to marry him and I think my husband would approve!! And Ken Kostick! He makes me laugh. I try & catch his new show with Mary Jo whenever I can (assuming its still on).
Anyway, I am salivating over the thought of winning either one of those books (Mostly Michael’s!) Dinner last night was a beautiful, decadent slice of strawberry cheese cake at Williams after standing in line for 1.5 hours to get Anne Murray’s autograph at Chapters!! The reason I wasn’t hungry before I went out was because of the 30 or so Chocolate Chips cookies I ate(One Smart Cookie of course)while baking yesterday afternoon! Have a blast. Drink more hot chocolate and we’ll wait for the delicious details!
Oh Julie, I do hate you just a teensy bit, but I love you enough to balance it out – I hope haha.
Dinner last nite was a salmon pasta dish inspired by non other than Michael Smith – I saw him prep it on Breakfast TV, it looked so simple, and yummy – and it was. Keep the entertaining tweets coming as I am living vicariously through them…
Ooooh! What fun! AND chocolate, to boot!
Fajitas!
I can’t believe you are there again. It really seems like just yesterday that I was reading about your love affair with Mr. Hot Chocolate. So envious. I’m trying to make the 5 year old eat more vegies. So, cauliflower/ potato soup. Nope. Didn’t work. Oh well.
Oh boy would I love to get my hands on those two babies, now that’s like begging, well it would be nice. Last night we had meat loag, man sised, the receipe has been around the block and back but it’s comfort food, had some mashed potatoes and corn on the cob from the freezer, salad and some ice cream for dessert. Love your blog,have a great time in Jasper. keeping my fingers crossed.
spelling mistakes, that was loaf. sorry about that
Just love Jasper. Our first time there this summer and it is beautiful. Ate out last night, just to lazy after attending the Millarville Christmas Craft Fair.
I seriously love your blog! I love hearing stories about what your toddler has eaten or has flatly refused since I am also constantly trying to get my little guy to eat something healthy. Would absolutely love the new cookbook by Chef Michael Smith! Dinner last night was delicious perogies and potato pancakes from the Heritage Bakery, green beans and turkey sausage!
I Love hot chocolate, especially this time of year. I found a flaw or type in the recipe – you forgot (?) to mention when to add the Baileys!!!! I bought some “gourmet” (read – expensive) hot chocolate mix last week, and I made up some to take to watch the Olympic torch come through town. I had to at least triple the amount of powder called for, and still barely got a chocolate taste. Never again. Dinner last night was cauliflower “rice” (trying to watch the carbs) and mexican chicken. So very good. Thanks for sharing your days with us.
I never think to make the chocolate curls when making hot chocolate at home, but I love that extra touch of chocolate. Maybe Santa will bring me an immersion blender for Christmas! Thanks for the chance at the giveaway.
Our daughter treated us to a Christmas in Banff and I will never forget the hot chocolate there or the food Christmas Day, a once in a lifetime experience.
I made the cranberry loaf again last night as we have become addicted.
this got me so excited for christmas that i started making a list of all the cookies i want to make.
=)
last night, a nod to the incredible perks of college living, i had an oozing calzone from across the street. i’m sorry. you shared. i had to.
Wow! Sounds like it is a gathering of the best of the best, with our favourite cook, Julie, among them. So cool!
Supper last night was a quickie as we both felt like we were coming down with something. Frozen Pierogies from the health food store (multi-grain!) that I sauteed with some butter and red onions, topped them off with some sour cream and beer from BC. Not as good as my sister-in-law’s, but for bought they were excellent.
Supper was a smorgasbord of food purchased from the Millarville Christmas market. Dips, breads, meats, pies, maple syrup candy oh…and a few of those mini carrots sticks to round it out! Trying to justify the $100+ spent on food at the market was a success especially when I pulled out the gianormous beef sausage rolls from the “My Bread” lady whose always out there. It’s fun to see such excitement over food!
Ooooo fingers crossed! Last night? Saigonese salad. Shredded lettuce, small cubes of cucumber, bean sprouts, rice noodles, cubed grilled pork, and crispy spring roll all topped with ? what, spicey fish sauce I think it was. Michael Smith? Be still my heart.
Hi Julie,
Dinner last night was Chicken Lasagna – an awesome alternative to regular lasagna that features white sauce and spinach. so yummy and comfortable. Christmas in November sounds amazing!
It’s 16 celsius here today but I could have used some hot chocolate bisque earlier in the week when I was in Huntsville and it was snowing!
Best to you!
Dana
Michael Smith’s cookbook is wonderful – I have it out from the library right now! Being an east coaster (currently living Banff) who used to live in PEI, I would often see him at the Superstore filming a segment for one of his shows, or at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. Have a wonderful time – looks like an amazing line-up! As for supper… I’m trying out my brand new slow cooker tonight…
I think I need to try that cranberry loaf; our family is putting your To-Die-For Cranberry Coconut squares into our family favorites cookbook for our 25th Anniversary next year. Better also give that real hot chocolate a go; so far I’ve not been a fan of hot chocolate.
Supper last night was tacos with home-made tortillas… I make the tortillas while my gang does the chop and grate part. One of our faves.
oops, we made some changes to our Mac and I see I’m now “anonymous”. Let’s see if I can get me back. Sub-mit…
We always try to have a nice meal on Saturday night if we don’t go out so last night I made beef bourguignon and rice for dinner….Also, I adore Michael Smith and wish I was were you are right now!
not quite cold enough here but I am READY already! my best friend’s husband adores hot chocolate and I am currently obsessed with Callebaut, so I shall have to make this for him soon.
oddly, never thought to use my immersion blender, but it makes total sense–so much more effective than whisking! sounds like you have had a marvelous time, I’m hungry & envious but appreciate you letting us live through you a bit.
Hi Julie,
Sounds like you are having a great time in Jasper. From all the comments, it sounds like we would all like to be there with you!
Dinner last night was lasagna, ceasar salad, garlic toast and for dessert, a Michael Smith Upside Down Apple Pie – it was so yummy! Best of all, it was shared with family and friends visiting from France. What could be better.
I’m jealous… big time jealous! I would kill to be in a room with all of those amazing chefs, not to mention the cookies and hot chocolate! Dinner last night was an odd array of things at a potluck dinner we went to. There was pulled pork with good old canned beans, Pizza Hut pizza, a vegetarian beanball… like a meatball but with kidney beans and barley that were on top of a yam/squash puree and broccoli, and chicken skewers along with the requisite chips and salsa and pretzels. We brought dessert… decadent chocolate brownies with halloween mini caramilk bars mixed in and chewy chocolate chip bars – both from your One Smart Cookie book, Julie! They were both a big hit. Eat some cookies and other great food for me and have an amazing time! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
I’ve been wanting to make homemade (as in not instant) hot chocolate for some time now. I remember last year how much you raved about all the hot chocolate you got to drink up there for a week. Maybe this year, I’ll actually get to it.
For dinner last night we had bacon wrapped scallops with maple bacon, steak and steamed grean beans with a bit of butter. Yummmmmmmy.
Hi, Julie, Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Dinner was Italian sausages with onions, peppers, zucchini, balsamic vinegar and honey. Normally I have some bread to soak up the liquid, but I had already had my quota, so I licked the bowl instead! (not really).
Dinner last night was salad with pomagranate seeds(found them at Costco!), beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes. Dessert was almost homemade… Mr. Christies Chocolate Wafer cookies with whipped chocolate ganache sandwiched in between – kind of a grown up Oreo. Next time I’ll make the cookies, maybe ginger crisps and white chocolate? 🙂
Once again, you lucky duck!
Dinner last night was simple fare, brought over by dear friends.
They contributed chili (with green and red peppers – straight from their still producing garden!) and a green salad (a mix of romaine from the grocer and leaf lettuce they have growing in window boxes on their back porch!) A bonus from an autumn in upstate NY. We contributed the best corn muffins (Cook’s Illustrated recipe) I have found to date (not dry and crumbly like most I have tried) all washed down with an Italian Chianti followed by a hilarious game of Dominoes!
Dinner was linguine al’amatriciana (ok, I’m pretty sure my spelling is way off) – much easier than it sounds – fry up some pancetta, take it out and add some olive oil and chopped onions, then add a can or two of tomatoes and some salt and pepper. It’s from Mark Bittman (sp again?)
I’m so sad I couldn’t make Christmas in November this year. Next year. Next year for sure.
I have no dinner to tell you about because I don’t think I ate a real dinner all weekend. Just eggs benny with goat cheese, avocado and tomato for brunch yesterday, which was quite fabulous (especially after a facial at Stillwater).
I used to watch Ken Kostick on What’s for Dinner all the time. Funny.
Wow, that event always makes me wish I was there!
My husband is a fan of Michael Smith, I would love to be able to give him the cookbook.
Thanks for the great giveaways Julie!
We had bbq ribs (in the crockpot), coleslaw and broccoli – yum!
I need to start eating better on Fridays. Looking back at my posts, there is always some calorie-laden carbohydrate topped with either butter, sour cream, or ketchup… Yikes!
Can I post Saturday night’s dinner instead? It was the best roast beef with gravy and mashed potatoes, corn, steamed veg, and some pretty decadent puffed wheat squares for dessert…
I feel better now…
Hi Julie,
My 17 year old son is in the process of making key lime pies (though he is using regular lime juice), and is having a great time. They look fantastic! He is planning to host his own 18th birthday dinner party in December, and is madly gathering recipes for starters, drinks and desserts. He would absolutely love to win a cookbook that could help to inspire him to even greater cooking endeavors!
I always thought that Christmas in November event was for Chefs only – I think I need to save my pennies for next year!
Dinner here was fun! Chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomato pesto, salad with cranberries and pumpkin seeds and pasta with a sauce made from cream cheese, goat cheese and more pesto. I also made a fruit coffee cake since I had some fruit to use up – pear, peach, apple and cranberry. YUM.
I am always behind in reading my emails! I’m not sure if this contest is closed already? I will tell you what we had for dinner on Saturday night, because that was the most fun: My daughter, who is 11, had her friend over for a sleep-over, a popular weekend activity for these two little friends. We did a make-your-own-pizza night. Rolled out each person their own pizza crust, with a small buffet of pizza toppings. Pizza sauce, fresh mozzerrella cheese, marble cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, pepperoni, olives, red peppers, onions, hot banana peppers. Each person can put as much or as little of their favourite ingrediants, and then pop-it in the oven. Yummy, and fun!
Last night we had hamburgers on the grill seasoned with soy sauce and garlic powder. Yummmy!
I can’t believe NOBODY has commented on Mike’s dancing. Can I rent him for my next party?
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