How popular are the chocolate-flavored teas from David’s Tea? Two of the three flavors (Chocolate-Covered Strawberry and Hazelnut Chocolate) are sold out!

We discovered this after receiving an early Valentine’s Day gift of five-calorie chocolate tea from David’s.

Truth to tell, for a no-calorie Valentine gift with chocolate flavor, we enjoyed it.

And you can still order S’mores Chai, in loose leaf tea or sachets (tea bags).

The flavors, according to David’s:

“Gooey toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, dark chocolate—the flavors of classic s’mores infused into pu’erh tea, with an extra dash of cinnamon to the campfire classic, so it’s rich, warming and packed with fudgy goodness. Brew it as a frothy tea latte for the ultimate cold-weather indulgence.”

All this, for only five calories per cup!

Get your S’mores Tea here.
 
 
WHAT IS PU’ERH TEA?

Also spelled pu’er or pu-er, pu’erh (poo-ERR) is a special category of tea from the Yunnan province of China, where it is considered to have medicinal properties.

In Chinese medicine, pu’erh is said to reduce cholesterol, hangovers, and to improve dental hygiene. It also is the basis for “slimming tea” and “beauty tea.”

The tea is usually compressed into shapes such as bricks, discs, birds’ nests, or spinning tops.

While most teas are consumed within a year of production, pu’erh can be kept for years for the aging process. Pu-er improves with age, owing to the specific type of oxidation that affects the tannins.

The flavors and aromas are earthy and smooth. Pu-erh teas are available in black, brick green, oolong, and white.
 
 
> The history of tea.

> The different types of tea: a glossary.

[1] S’mores tea (both photos © David’s Tea).

[2] Bits of marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker with pu’erh black tea.

[1] Red Velvet Mug Cake. It couldn’t be easier! The recipe follows (photo © Culinary.net | Family Features).

[2] Red Velvet Cheesecake. The recipe link is below (photo © McCormick).

[3] Red Velvet Pancakes. The recipe link is below (photo © Taste of Home).

[4] Baked Red Velvet Donuts. The recipe link is at right (photo © Farmgirl Gourmet).

[5] Red Velvet Cookies. The recipe link is at the right (photo © Betty Crocker).

Whether it’s a romantic tete-a-tete, a small party, a family dinner, or you wanting a special treat, this easy Red Velvet Mug Cake recipe is fun food with panache!

It’s hard to resist this rose-red, luscious Red Velvet Mug Cake.

With just a handful of ingredients and instructions, it’s easily cooked in just three minutes in the microwave.

It’s a simple way to make something delicious and keep the portions small (i.e., no big cake to go back to for seconds).

Whether you have a small party, just you and your loved one, or just simply want something easy and small, this quick treat is designed just for you.

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients into a large mug, including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Then add milk, melted butter, vanilla, and red food coloring. Use a spoon and stir the ingredients together until blended.
Mix powdered sugar and cream cheese then drop the mixture into the cake batter and mix once more. Microwave the mug for up to 3 minutes until your cake is baked.

Thanks to Culinary.net for the recipe. Find more recipes and dessert ideas for every celebration at Culinary.net.

> The history of red velvet cake.

> The history of mug cakes.

> The different types of cake.
 
 
RECIPE: RED VELVET MUG CAKE

How easy is this recipe? Check out the video below.

There are also more red velvet recipes below.
 
Ingredients Per Mug Cake

 
Preparation

1. WHISK in a 12-ounce mug the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, butter, vanilla, and food coloring; mix until blended.

2. MIX the powdered sugar and cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth.

3. DROP the cream cheese mixture into the cake batter. Press into batter until covered.

4. MICROWAVE for up to 3 minutes until the top rises and the cake is done.

If you’d like an after-dinner drink with your cake, we recommend crème de cacao or other chocolate liqueur. Framboise, raspberry liqueur, is also lovely.
 
 
MORE RED VELVET RECIPES

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

February is National Pie Month. What do you need to make a pie? A rolling pin*, pie plate, and ingredients. But how about an embossed rolling pin that adds a design to your crust?

Designed by Rotate Rolling, these beautiful rolling pins create a perfectly textured crust for the top of a double-crust pie (including lattice tops).

You can also use your Rotate Rolling Pin—which comes in 16 designs—to create designs on:

 
 
DESIGNS FOR EVERYONE

The designs include:

 
The eco-friendly rolling pins are made from all-natural 100% beech wood, made to last a lifetime. The designs are laser-cut.
 
 
GET YOURS!

For your home, and for gifts for friends who bake, head to RotateRolling.com.
 
 
> The different types of pie.

> The different types of cookies.

> The history of pie.

> The history of cookies.
 
 
________________
 
Don’t have a rolling pin? Use a wine bottle!

[1] Roll out a beautiful pie crust with one of 16 designs (all photos © Rotate Rolling).

[2] Cookies embossed with lovely leaves.

[3] Emboss your crust, cookies, fondant, or pasta with birds.

[2] Eleven 20 makes tequila and mezcal.

[3] A classic Margarita (photo © Casa Noble Tequila).

There are plenty of chocolate cocktails to enjoy on Valentine’s Day, but here’s a selection of chocolate cocktails, starting with a S’mores Margarita. The recipe was created by Eleven20, a distiller of both tequila and mezcal.

But first: What is a Margarita?

The original Margarita, created in 1948, combined tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice: an orange-flavored tequila cocktail with a salt rim, served with a lime wheel (here’s the Margarita history).

It became so popular that these years later, the Margarita is always in the list of the Top 10 cocktails in the U.S., often at the top of the list.

Mixologists have played fast and loose with drinks they call “Margarita,” and the following recipe is an example. When is a Margarita not a Margarita? Read our rant on the topic here.
 
 
RECIPE: S’MORES MARGARITA

Using mezcal instead of tequila provides a bit of smoky “campfire” flavor.
 
 
Ingredients

Preparation

1. RIM the glasses. Moisten the rim with a lime wedge, then dip the rim of the glass in the chocolate (about 1/4″) and quickly twist it in a saucer of graham cracker crumbs.
 
2. COMBINE in a shaker the ice, tequila, chocolate liqueur, Grand Marnier, Marshmallow Fluff, and sour mix. Stir the liquid with a bar spoon to loosen up Fluff. Add ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. There will be small specks of Fluff throughout the cocktail.

3. FILL the rimmed glasses with ice and strain the drink into them.

4. GARNISH with three skewered mini marshmallows. Toast the marshmallows with a kitchen torch or other flame.
 
 
MORE CHOCOLATE COCKTAIL RECIPES

Courtney Adeleye, founder and CEO of Olbali, a global multi-brand company, creates products that improve quality of life.

After many unsuccessful years of searching for coffee that delivered both flavor and strength, Courtney Adeleye decided to blend her own.

She tasted samples from all over the world: Africa, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Vietnam. She then came up with the perfect coffee blends that pleased her palate, delivering bold flavor and robust strength.

She named the brand Cool Coffee Clique™, and branded her flavors as Strong “AF” (i.e., Strong And Flavorful).

The brand currently offers three flavors of coffee, plus flavored teas and hot chocolate. The Cool Coffee Clique flavors, available in K-cups include:

 
Get your coffee on the company website or from Home Shopping Network.
 
 
> The history of coffee.

> The different types of coffee: a glossary.

[1] Double Chocolate Choco-No-Late Coffee is infused with chocolate flavors, but no calories (both photos © Home Shopping Network).

[2] The rose-decorated boxes are another nice touch for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and wedding showers.