Pioneer Womans Hot Chocolate Slightly Modified Food

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

Steps:

• Using a funnel and four 4-ounce mason jars, layer the ingredients in each jar as follows: 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, a pinch salt, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 2 tablespoons instant dried milk, 1 tablespoon shaved semisweet chocolate and 12 mini marshmallows. Seal the jars.
• To serve: Tip the hot chocolate mix from 1 jar into a mug and top up with 1 cup boiling water. Mix.

CHOCOLATE MESSAGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined. Add the flour/cocoa mixture in 2 or 3 batches, mixing well after each addition. Place the dough into a large resealable plastic bag and flatten slightly with your hand. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Dust a work surface with cocoa powder.
• Remove the dough from the bag and place on the cocoa powder-dusted surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with a heart cutter. You'll need to consolidate and re-roll the dough as you go. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until set but not browning at all, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• To decorate the cookies with stenciled letters, Pink Buttercream or melted chocolate: Stencil some of the cookies with the alphabet stencils to spell out things like "Love You" and "Be Mine." Place the stencils on the cooled cookies and lay pieces of scrap paper on any areas of exposed cookie. Lightly sift powdered sugar over the stencils. Carefully remove the paper and stencils with tweezers, being careful not to drop powdered sugar as you remove them. Use a tiny brush to correct "errors."
• For the remaining cookies, frost with Pink Buttercream if desired, or drizzle with melted white chocolate. Arrange on a platter or in a basket and deliver to your sweetie! (Don't stack the cookies.)
• Add the powdered sugar, butter, heavy cream and food coloring to the bowl of an electric mixer and cream together until light and fluffy.

PIONEER WOMAN'S HOT CHOCOLATE, SLIGHTLY MODIFIED

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. .
• Stir in chocolate chips. Stir until melted ("though there will still be lovely particles of chocolate throughout," the Pioneer Woman's words, not mine.).
• If it's too chocolatey for you, splash in a little more milk. If it's not quite sweet enough for you, add 1 teaspoon sugar (I added the sugar).
• Serve in mugs, and it should be rich and creamy, and perhaps even better with whipped cream and/or marshmallows.

CHOCOLATE OVERLOAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream together the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping the sides once, until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, then add in batches to the mixer, mixing until just combined after each addition. Gently stir in the regular-sized chocolate candies, as well as the chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks.
• Using a 1/4-cup measure, portion the dough onto the two parchment-lined baking sheets. Place the mini chocolate candies into the tops of the portioned dough. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and bake until the cookie centers are just set, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow the cookies to sit for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

FANCY HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For the chocolate decorations: Put the melted chocolate into a pastry bag and snip off a tiny hole at the tip. Pipe lacy chocolate designs--just larger than the tea cups you're using--onto a baking mat or piece of parchment paper. Allow to set completely.
• For the hot chocolate: Combine the milk and half-and-half in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, then stir in the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips, sugar and vanilla, heating until melted and combined. Transfer the mixture to a teapot.
• To serve: place a lacy chocolate piece over each tea cup and pour over the hot chocolate. When the chocolate has melted into the cup, top with the whipped cream and enjoy.

CHOCOLATE PIXIES (MODIFIED WITH COCOA POWDER)

Steps:

• Combine cocoa with oil.
• Add sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time.
• Add vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add to cocoa mixture.
• Chill for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Drop by teaspoon in powdered sugar, coating entirely.
• Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes.
• Remove immediately, taking care so as to retain shape.
• Cookie will be solid on the outside and soft on the inside.