HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar

City Bakery_Salted caramel hot chocolate

City Bakery’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate – Photo Courtesy of City Bakery (NYC)

I usually prefer to eat, rather than drink, my calories and carbs. But I’ll sometimes make an exception for Hot Chocolate and Hot Cocoa. “Hot Cocoa” is sometimes used interchangeably for “Hot Chocolate.” But there is a difference. Hot Chocolate refers to the luxurious beverage made from ground-up chocolate pieces. Hot Cocoa doesn’t contain cocoa butter so it’s not as rich but added cream and milk enrich this hot beverage.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with traditional Hot Chocolate and Hot Cocoa, I wanted to find out how chocolatiers and bakers are pushing the “Hot Chocolate envelope.” Here are some of the more innovative Hot Chocolate/Hot Cocoa varieties:

Wicked Hot Chocolate from Jacques Torres – Photo Courtesy of Jacques Torres (NYC)

Jacques Torre’s Wicked Hot Chocolate. Why is it “wicked”? Because it’s spiced with allspice, cinnamon, ground ancho chili peppers, and smoked ground chipotle chili peppers.

Hot Chocolate from the Hot Chocolate Restaurant – Photo Courtesy of Hot Chocolate (Chicago)

The Black & Tan. It’s on the menu of the aptly named HotChocolate restaurant in Chicago. To ensure you’re getting your chocolate fix, this beverage is comprised of 1 part Hot Fudge to 2 parts Hot Chocolate.

polar bear hot choolate with icebeg_marshmallow on top

Ode to Polar Bear Hot Chocolate from City Bakery – Photo Courtesy of City Bakery (NYC)

The Ode to Polar Bear Hot Chocolate. This offering, from New York City’s City Bakery, is for fans of White Chocolate. Perched on top of the hot white chocolate is a floating iceberg (homemade marshmallow). Or how about Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate? Yes, this Hot Chocolate sports not just a homemade marshmallow, but a toasted one at that. While traditional Hot Chocolate is always on City Bakery’s menu, special flavors are offered during the annual Hot Chocolate Festival.

Serendic

Serendipity’s Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. Who says Hot Chocolate has to be hot? As the name implies, it’s served frosty cold, with straws.

Hmm, we still have several days of winter left. Plenty of time to enjoy Hot Chocolate!

Mindy Segal and Cookie Love

The Cookie Love Cookbook - Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant & Dessert Bar (Chicago)

The Cookie Love Cookbook – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

I recently attended a talk on one of my favorite topics – Cookies! Mindy Segal, author of the recently published Cookie Love cookbook and owner of Chicago-based HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar, provided the “Cookie Scoop.”

Mindy Segal, author of Cookie Love – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

Mindy is well qualified to discuss Cookies. She is a pastry chef by profession, has owned her restaurant for 10 years, and perhaps most importantly, is an ardent Cookie fan. As Mindy puts it “Cookies don’t save the world but they save the mood.”

Fresh baked rugelach - Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant & Dessert Bar (Chicago)

Fresh baked rugelach – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

While Mindy created plated desserts for several years she decided to “let the young kids do this” and instead focused on her craft. She baked Cookies every day and came up with a variety of different techniques. In fact, when she opened her restaurant, the pastry case was filled with mostly…. You guessed it, Cookies!

Mindy Segal in Her Restaurant - Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant & Dessert Bar

Mindy Segal in Her Restaurant – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar

Her mind explodes with ideas for Cookies. Nutter Butter-type Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, Milano-type Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies…….the list goes on and on. Mindy also likes creating “Dessert in a Sandwich Cookie.” How about a Banana Cream Cookie?

Hot Chocolate - Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant & Dessert Bar (Chicago)

Hot Chocolate – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

She’s a seasonal baker – in February she developed a number of Chocolate Desserts and her restaurant is now featuring a spring collection of nostalgic desserts.

Blackberry Turnovers with Brown Butter - Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant & Dessert Bar

Blackberry Turnovers with Brown Butter – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar

These are a few of her Baking/Cookie tips:
— After you beat hot fudge with a mixer and it’s aerated, it makes a great frosting
— And continuing the hot fudge theme…..hot fudge and jam make a wonderful rugelach filling. When it bakes, the hot fudge will ooze out a bit, but that’s OK.
— Brown butter is a fantastic addition to desserts. At the restaurant, brown butter is prepared in advance so it’s always on hand.
— Goat butter (not goat cheese) imparts a mild delicate tang to baked goods

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

I asked Mindy which Cookies were particularly popular now. She thought Egg White Cookies (since egg whites provide a rich texture they can replace dairy, wheat or other ingredients) and French Macarons (of which she is not a fan). But as she remarked “You can’t get away from Chocolate Chip Cookies – they’re number one.”

HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

And for those of us wondering what enables a restaurant to survive and flourish, since so many fail, Mindy summarized her own rules: she owns only one restaurant; she’s there six days a week; and when she’s not there, a trusted person, such as her husband, the manager, or the pastry chef, is.

Box of Cookies – Photo Courtesy of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)

Mindy believes “There’s a Cookie for everyone” (well, there are probably hundreds for me, but I digress) and “Cookies are tiny little nuggets of happiness.” I couldn’t agree more!

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Hot Chocolate and Hot Cocoa