We sprinkled some lavender buds atop this cup of lavender white hot chocolate, but it’s perfect in its ungarnished form. Photo by Danielle Cuevas | THE NIBBLE.

The founders of the Anthony Grace Collection were on a mission to elevate hot cocoa into an elegant drink. They succeeded beyond even our wildest dreams: Their white hot chocolate beverages were our very favorite product among the thousands we tasted at the 2008 Summer Fancy Food Show.

Amazingly, company founders Sharissa Fox and Angela Marruffo and had no prior culinary experience: Both are healthcare professionals (and the parents, respectively, of Anthony and Grace).

We would have expected these exceptional white hot chocolate beverages to come from the world’s finest chocolatiers or most innovative chefs, not from two young working moms. Brava, ladies!

Shaving white chocolate from Callebaut of Belgium, the pair have created five irresistible flavors:

 
Leave your preconceived notions at the door—you must have all five. For a memorable dessert, serve these hot chocolates as a flight in demitasse cups.

Read the full review.

2016 UPDATE

The company appears to be closed. The website, AnthonyGraceCollections.com, no longer connects. We thank the creators for introducing us to the wonderful world of flavored white chocolate: We’ll be chopping up white chocolate bars to make our own.
  

The coffee, in one-pound bags, is $10.95. While this is the first year for Thanksgiving Blend, Christmas Blend, which has been popular for 20 years (and is based on aged Indonesian coffee beans), will be available beginning November 28th.

-Demystify coffee in our glossary of coffee terms.
-Learn about the aromas and flavors of coffee.
-Check out the tricks for making good coffee.
-Explore the history of coffee.
-Take our coffee trivia quiz.

TURKEY

Ingredients

-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 teaspoon achiote seeds
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon powdered cumin
-2 tablespoons sea salt
-2 tablespoons black pepper
-1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
-14-pound whole turkey, fresh or froze/thawed
-Ripe plantain stuffing (recipe follows)

1. Gently heat olive oil and add achiote seeds. Steep for 10 minutes and allow oil to turn a bright red/orange color. (Do not fry seeds or the oil will become bitter.) Strain.
2. Mix garlic with spices. Stir in achiote oil until it forms a paste.
3. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub turkey with a thin layer of the spice rub. Cover and marinate turkey in the refrigerator for about 10-15 hours.
4. Loosely fill turkey cavity with the plantain stuffing. Fold turkey wings under the back of the turkey and return legs to the tucked position. Place turkey on rack, and set in large shallow roasting pan. Roast turkey in a 325°F oven, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Roast for approximately 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180°F in the thigh and the stuffing reaches 165°F.
5. Loosely tent the turkey with foil and allow turkey to rest for about 15-20 minutes prior to carving.
6. Place on a platter and garnish with chili peppers and orange slices.
Yield: 12 servings

RIPE PLANTAIN STUFFING

Ingredients

-1/2 cup golden raisins
-1/4 cup gold rum
-10 plantains, very ripe
-8 ounces unsalted butter
-1/2 cup water
-Sugar to taste
-1 cinnamon stick

Preparation

1. Plump raisins in rum.
2. Peel and cube the plantains. Melt butter in a skillet and sauté plantains.
3. Add water, sugar and cinnamon stick. Cook until the plantains are soft, about 25 minutes. Add rum and raisins and cook for 10 more minutes.
4. Slightly mash plantains. Let cool.

Other pumpkin recipe favorites:

–Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Pie
–Cranberry Pumpkin Crumble Cheesecake
–Pumpkin Cheesecake
–Pumpkin & Habañero Cheddar Soufflés
–Pumpkin Cocktail

And these Top Picks Of The Week:

–Rossi’s Pumpkin Fettuccini
–SuperSeedz Flavored Pumpkin Seeds
–Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale

The pumpkin is a winter squash, like acorn squash and butternut squash. Winter squash have hard, thick rinds that enable them to stay fresh for up to three months when stored in a cool, dark place. Summer squash are thin-skinned and bruise easily (think zucchini); they contain more water than winter squash. These days, winter squash and summer squash varieties are available year-round.

Take a gander at our Squash Glossary, THE NIBBLE’s most popular article (and out of thousands of articles on TheNibble.com, that’s a feat!).

While you’re at it, try their new Mighty Maple peanut butter (blended with real maple syrup) with bacon on whole grain or white toast. Garnish with some apple slices. Buy $30 worth of PB&C products online, and you’ll receive a free jar of Mighty Maple peanut butter. Enter coupon code MM888 in the “Coupon Code” field located in the online basket (reachable by clicking the “My Shopping Cart” link in the upper-right hand side at the company website, ilovepeanutbutter.com). The offer ends November 30, 2008.