What the heck are beer berries, one might logically ask. Better yet, what are chocolate-covered beer berries?

Invented by Moonstruck Chocolate of Portland, Oregon, this innovative treat starts with German roasted malted wheat berries, which are typically used in the brewing process to make dark beers like Guinness and other stouts.

Moonstruck tumbles the wheat berries in delicious dark chocolate. You don’t have to be a beer lover to enjoy the crunchy texture and coffee (from the roasting) and chocolate flavors.

But, chocolate-covered beer berries are delightful surprise for those who do enjoy their brewskis. They’re a great gift or party favor; and at $5.00 per bag, very affordable.

There isn’t anything alcoholic in beer berries—just great flavor and fun. The concept was invented by Moonstruck’s master chocolatier after visiting a brewery and discovering the unique flavors of the beer berries.

And yes, you can nibble on them while enjoying a glass of stout or other beer.
 
Get yours at MoonstruckChocolate.com.

For those living north of the Equator, today* is the the winter solstice, shortest day of the year.

Since antiquity, man has celebrated the winter solstice with feasting, gifts, visiting, drinking and more of the pleasures that counter the daily hardships of life.

So treat yourself to something special. We recommend a candy cane hot chocolate.

Start by making a seasonal cocoa cup rimmer with crushed candy canes or other peppermint candies.

Here’s a recipe for an easy batch of “peppermint dust” from Ziploc. Use it to turn goodies into festive treats all winter long.

To rim a cup of cocoa, dip the rim in water about 1/4 inch deep. Place the peppermint dust on a plate or in shallow bowl and twist the wet rim in it until it adheres.

1. PLACE candy canes or other red and white peppermint candies in a Ziploc bag. Gently crush the candies with a rolling pin. Use less pressure for tiny chunks, and more pressure for a fine dust.

2. STORE the peppermint dust in a a Ziploc bag or other airtight container for easy access.

3. SPRINKLE on frosted, brownies, donuts, cupcakes. See these and other recipes at LifeLessons.Ziploc.com.

Hot chocolate is made by mixing shaved, ground or other form of actual chocolate like beads or pellets (pistoles). The chocolate is mixed with water or milk, plus a sweetener. If you were to eat the chocolate, it would taste just like chocolate from a chocolate bar.

Cocoa is made with cocoa powder. Many products made from cocoa powder are called “hot chocolate,” but there is a difference. As chocolate contains far more cocoa butter than cocoa powder, hot chocolate will be smoother and richer than hot cocoa, all things being equal (if both products are made with the same type of liquid—milk, half and half, water, etc.) .

Check out the different types of cocoa and hot chocolate.
 
EASY PEPPERMINT BARK

For an over-the-top treat, have some peppermint bark with your candy cane cocoa.

Peppermint bark is super easy to make. Simply:

2. CHILL in the refrigerator for an hour and break into chunks. Voilà: a special treat with little effort.
 
*Using the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs between December 20th and December 23rd. Based on the rotation of Earth, the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun at the winter solstice (and closest to the sun at the vernal equinox in June). The Gregorian calendar is used in most western countries: 365 days in a year, 366 days in a leap year.
  

It was created by Laila Ghambari, U.S. 2014 Barista Champion, director of coffee at Cherry Street Coffee House, a Seattle mini-chain, and a spokesperson for De’Longhi premium coffee machines.

She recently developed this easy-to-make Nutella Latte recipe, and De’Longhi shared it with us.

RECIPE: NUTELLA LATTE

Ingredients For One 8-10-Ounce Drink

1. ADD 1 tablespoon of Nutella to the bottom of the cup. Combine with prepared espresso and stir, then top with foamed milk.

2. TOP with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate powder or chopped toasted nuts.

If you’re one of those people who doesn’t like Nutella, here’s another recipe Laila created. There are no chestnuts or pecans (the typical nut for praline) in this drink, but she created it to evoke those flavors.

RECIPE: MOCK CHESTNUT PRALINE LATTE

Ingredients For One 8-10-Ounce Drink

 
Preparation

1. WARM up the peanut butter and sweetener. Combine with the prepared espresso then top with foamed milk.
2. TOP with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate or chopped toasted nuts.

Mock Chestnut Praline Latte. Photo courtesy Cherry Street Coffeehouse | DeLonghi.