I can't believe I hadn't thought of this before! Like the Magneto's Critique series, Elsa and Anna's Mini Reviews is fairly inconsistent, and I'd only make a post when a movie or something miniature comes along for us dolls to take advantage of. But our tiny doll Christmas tree has always been with us, and I'd never thought to review it. Then again, Anna has only been around since Christmas 2016, and by then the tree was already up and decorated. We thought it was a good idea to review our tree... we thought. But I figured I had already done something similar with the 12 Days of Christmas Finale, LokiHow. Which is also a series that I might need to resurrect sometime in the future. So, instead of doing "Elsa and Anna's Mini Reviews: Our Christmas Tree", we did something else to get us further into the holiday mood: something that involved chocolate.
***
"I think we need popcorn garland. Yeah. Let's get some popcorn garland for next year." Olaf repeated for the sixth time. It was Nessa's favorite time of year... tree decorating season. She had always enjoyed this tradition, but finding her sister Elphie that way helped to solidify that fondness. This year, Nessa had recruited Olaf as an assistant decorator... which didn't mean much, since She only pretended to make us decorate our tree, but it was keeping him busy.
Meanwhile, Anna and I had stepped back to give some of the newer dolls a turn. This was Anelle and Kristoff's first Christmas, and Moana as well, if you didn't count her finding day. We weren't able to accomplish much without our human, but unpacking all the boxes looked fun nonetheless.
Anna's arms were crossed in pleasure, happy to watch. "You know, this Christmas tree is the perfect candidate..."
She expected me to finish her sentence, but I didn't quite get it yet. "For what?"
Anna looked slightly offended. "For the blog? You know, that series on reviewing miniatures? We were doing it together?"
I laughed. "Sometimes I think you care more about my own blog than I do."
"Come on, it's perfect! We should do one. A post, I mean."
"No..." I decided. "I already did something like that without you."
"What? Where was I?"
"Um... your old home in Georgia?"
"Oh. Right." Anna rubbed her arms where they were crossed. She was embarrassed, and slightly jealous. We would fix that right away, I thought.
"But you're right. This time of year always gets me into the blogging mood. We should make a post."
"Okay, but about what?" Anna asked.
"What is that amazing smell?" I sniffed the air, getting inspired.
"Chocolate!" Anna and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and smiled. We had our idea.
Nut Butter Hot Chocolate
1. For step one, you're going to need a microwave-safe mug filled with 8 oz/1 cup of milk. Microwave that for about 2 minutes, but this is depending on how hot your microwave gets.
2. Once the milk is nicely steaming, add about two or more heaping tablespoons of your chosen nut butter or hazelnut-chocolate spread. You can always add more or less to suit your taste. We used something called Nutella because it was a smooth spread that smelled the most like chocolate.
3. Garnish is optional, but our favorite are these drink sprinkles the humans made. If you'd like to make it yourself, you'll need sugar crystals, chocolate chunks, and coffee beans, then put those in a spare pepper grinder. It takes a good strong twist to work, but well worth it for the little crunches of flavor in the cocoa.
Dorothy and Bell enjoying their cocoa date.
Tea-Infused Hot Chocolate
1. Get another microwave-safe mug for this one. Or, if you take pleasure in washing things over and over, use the same leaping rainbow unicorn one from the dollar store. You'll need one packet of powder hot chocolate, of any brand, as long as it's the original flavor. We used the Swiss Miss milk chocolate. Then chose a tea that you think would work well in the drink. Olaf and Idina had an herbal tea, since Dorothy said it would be weird to have a caffeinated tea, such as Earl Gray or some other black or green tea in the mix. Peppermint was a festive choice, but we think that flavors like orange, cherry, and vanilla will work well for any time of the year.
2. Get a microwave-safe mug, (Olaf and Idina chose She's famous eyeball doodles mug) and heat 3/4 cup of water for about two minutes in your microwave.
3. Next, it's time to steep your tea. Your teabag tag or box should have brewing instructions for how long to leave the tea in the water. It should be about two-five minutes. We suggest covering the mug with a small dish or an upside-down bowl to keep the heat in the drink.
3. Once the tea has been well infused into the water, stir your hot cocoa mix into the tea. Once all the lumps are gone, it should be good enough to smell. Or drink, if that's your thing.
As you can see, all of these pictures were taken on She's bookshelf to add that extra artsy touch.
Meanwhile, Anna and I had stepped back to give some of the newer dolls a turn. This was Anelle and Kristoff's first Christmas, and Moana as well, if you didn't count her finding day. We weren't able to accomplish much without our human, but unpacking all the boxes looked fun nonetheless.
Anna's arms were crossed in pleasure, happy to watch. "You know, this Christmas tree is the perfect candidate..."
She expected me to finish her sentence, but I didn't quite get it yet. "For what?"
Anna looked slightly offended. "For the blog? You know, that series on reviewing miniatures? We were doing it together?"
I laughed. "Sometimes I think you care more about my own blog than I do."
"Come on, it's perfect! We should do one. A post, I mean."
"No..." I decided. "I already did something like that without you."
"What? Where was I?"
"Um... your old home in Georgia?"
"Oh. Right." Anna rubbed her arms where they were crossed. She was embarrassed, and slightly jealous. We would fix that right away, I thought.
"But you're right. This time of year always gets me into the blogging mood. We should make a post."
"Okay, but about what?" Anna asked.
"What is that amazing smell?" I sniffed the air, getting inspired.
"Chocolate!" Anna and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and smiled. We had our idea.
***
Five seemed like a good number of hot chocolate recipes to make, and Dorothy, master chef that she is, was able to think of five different types to try. Since it was only fair, we let her and Bell get first dibs. They chose hazelnut/peanut butter hot chocolate, here's how that turned out.Nut Butter Hot Chocolate
1. For step one, you're going to need a microwave-safe mug filled with 8 oz/1 cup of milk. Microwave that for about 2 minutes, but this is depending on how hot your microwave gets.
2. Once the milk is nicely steaming, add about two or more heaping tablespoons of your chosen nut butter or hazelnut-chocolate spread. You can always add more or less to suit your taste. We used something called Nutella because it was a smooth spread that smelled the most like chocolate.
3. Garnish is optional, but our favorite are these drink sprinkles the humans made. If you'd like to make it yourself, you'll need sugar crystals, chocolate chunks, and coffee beans, then put those in a spare pepper grinder. It takes a good strong twist to work, but well worth it for the little crunches of flavor in the cocoa.
Dorothy and Bell enjoying their cocoa date.
***
Olaf was especially excited when I started talking about Christmas, so we let him and Idina go next. They chose the tea-infused hot chocolate with a peppermint tea. There is no link for this recipe, it was just something we came up with ourselves on the fly.Tea-Infused Hot Chocolate
1. Get another microwave-safe mug for this one. Or, if you take pleasure in washing things over and over, use the same leaping rainbow unicorn one from the dollar store. You'll need one packet of powder hot chocolate, of any brand, as long as it's the original flavor. We used the Swiss Miss milk chocolate. Then chose a tea that you think would work well in the drink. Olaf and Idina had an herbal tea, since Dorothy said it would be weird to have a caffeinated tea, such as Earl Gray or some other black or green tea in the mix. Peppermint was a festive choice, but we think that flavors like orange, cherry, and vanilla will work well for any time of the year.
2. Get a microwave-safe mug, (Olaf and Idina chose She's famous eyeball doodles mug) and heat 3/4 cup of water for about two minutes in your microwave.
3. Next, it's time to steep your tea. Your teabag tag or box should have brewing instructions for how long to leave the tea in the water. It should be about two-five minutes. We suggest covering the mug with a small dish or an upside-down bowl to keep the heat in the drink.
3. Once the tea has been well infused into the water, stir your hot cocoa mix into the tea. Once all the lumps are gone, it should be good enough to smell. Or drink, if that's your thing.
As you can see, all of these pictures were taken on She's bookshelf to add that extra artsy touch.
***
Since none of us were experienced with making real, raw, hot chocolate, and not just something from a pre-mixed packet, Dorothy had to consult the internet for a good original recipe. This one on epicurious looked simple and tasty. Here's the link to the website if you're interested in making it.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/simple-hot-cocoa-for-one-369469
Old-Fashioned Hot Chocolate
1. You'll need a saucepan for this one. Set your stove for low heat and pour 1 cup of milk into the saucepan, stirring it constantly with a spatula since milk is pretty picky about heat. Toss in a sprinkle of table salt.
2. Once the milk is simmering (aka steaming, but not bubbling), add 1/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate pieces. We used Ghirardelli Premium Bittersweet Chocolate Baking chips. Once the chocolate pieces are with the milk, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it rest a full minute.
3. Get a whisk and mix the now-melted chocolate and hot milk together.
4. Stir in a 1/4 teaspoon of artificial vanilla and 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Again, we used Ghirardelli. It's She's family's favorite.
5. Now it's time to pour your finished creation into a mug. You may need to reheat it in the microwave if it's not to your preferred temperature. Once your hot chocolate is finished, it should have a rich, dark brown color and a smooth, thick texture.
This was Moana's first time smelling hot chocolate!
2. Once the milk is simmering (aka steaming, but not bubbling), add 1/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate pieces. We used Ghirardelli Premium Bittersweet Chocolate Baking chips. Once the chocolate pieces are with the milk, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it rest a full minute.
3. Get a whisk and mix the now-melted chocolate and hot milk together.
4. Stir in a 1/4 teaspoon of artificial vanilla and 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Again, we used Ghirardelli. It's She's family's favorite.
5. Now it's time to pour your finished creation into a mug. You may need to reheat it in the microwave if it's not to your preferred temperature. Once your hot chocolate is finished, it should have a rich, dark brown color and a smooth, thick texture.
This was Moana's first time smelling hot chocolate!
***
Anelle and Kristoff were volunteered by Dorothy and Bell. It appears that Idina and I are not the only ones who think the two would work well romantically together. They got a pumpkin spice hot chocolate, everyone's favorite flavor of the fall season. There was no recipe for this one, just wits and experimentation.
Pumpkin Spice Cocoa
1. You'll need to get another one of those instant hot chocolate Swiss Miss packets for this one. We used milk chocolate flavor again since we weren't sure if any of the others would work for pumpkin spice.
2. Use milk for this recipe as well, as it will give your hot chocolate a richer and thicker texture. Pour a 3/4 cup of milk into a microwave-safe mug and heat it for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir in your Swiss Miss packet after it's ready.
3. Now it's time to make your pumpkin spice mixture. Now, you could very well just use a pre-made container that you buy from a store, but we weren't about to do that. Dorothy made us our own by combining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
4. Warning: Do not dump the entire contents of your pumpkin spice mixture in your hot chocolate! It will be too strong. Instead, we recommend stirring in 1/4 teaspoon of the pumpkin spice at first. You can always add more later.
5. And you're done! This pumpkin spice hot cocoa was clearly a fan favorite, even if it's not fall anymore.
2. Use milk for this recipe as well, as it will give your hot chocolate a richer and thicker texture. Pour a 3/4 cup of milk into a microwave-safe mug and heat it for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir in your Swiss Miss packet after it's ready.
3. Now it's time to make your pumpkin spice mixture. Now, you could very well just use a pre-made container that you buy from a store, but we weren't about to do that. Dorothy made us our own by combining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
4. Warning: Do not dump the entire contents of your pumpkin spice mixture in your hot chocolate! It will be too strong. Instead, we recommend stirring in 1/4 teaspoon of the pumpkin spice at first. You can always add more later.
5. And you're done! This pumpkin spice hot cocoa was clearly a fan favorite, even if it's not fall anymore.
Anelle thought the setting was nice, but Kristoff's a little stiff yet. He always seems that way around Anelle, like he's comfortable with her but doesn't want to be. Maybe this is something I should investigate further.
***
The final of our five hot chocolate recipes included Anna and I and an old favorite of mine. Instead of hot chocolate, we had a "hot vanilla", which reminded me of my first date with Steve. Only this time, the vanilla is imitation extract and was not strong enough to make me whoozy! The following link has the recipe we used, only we altered it a bit to fit our tastes. Or scents, rather.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/84636/hot-vanilla/
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/84636/hot-vanilla/
Hot Vanilla
1. Pour 1 cup of 1% milk in a microwave-safe mug. Get together 3 teaspoons of white granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon together in a little dish and mix them thoroughly together.
2. Once the cinnamon and sugar are well combined, put the entire contents into the milk. Add 2 teaspoons of imitation vanilla extract and stir together well until the sugar on the bottom is dissolved or until the cinnamon on top stops clumping.
3. Heat your "hot vanilla" in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or 2 minutes if you prefer a hotter drink.
4. That's it! Hot vanilla has a mild flavor/scent, so it doesn't suit everyone, but Anna and I both enjoyed it.
2. Once the cinnamon and sugar are well combined, put the entire contents into the milk. Add 2 teaspoons of imitation vanilla extract and stir together well until the sugar on the bottom is dissolved or until the cinnamon on top stops clumping.
3. Heat your "hot vanilla" in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or 2 minutes if you prefer a hotter drink.
4. That's it! Hot vanilla has a mild flavor/scent, so it doesn't suit everyone, but Anna and I both enjoyed it.
Anna and I did rock-paper-scissors to get the giant Frozen mug. I won.
***
I know this post is late, but being late is kind of my trademark. Hopefully you can still find these recipes useful while the winter lasts.
Happy Hot Cocoa Making,
Queen Elsa
