It’s National Hot Chocolate Day, or National Cocoa Day if you prefer (the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate). Today we’re making this adults-only version.

The recipe comes to us from Baileys Irish Cream, using the company’s Original Irish Cream with a hint of Mint Chocolate.

 
RECIPE: BAILEY’S PEPPERMINT CREAM HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation
1. CRUSH the candy cane with the back of a spoon. Set aside.

3. TOP with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane on top and garnish with the mint leaf.
  

The Nutcracker, a keepsake toy, stays with
you after the apple has been enjoyed. There are teddy bears and other seasonal options. Photo courtesy Mrs. Prindable.

We recently recommended a stocking stuffer of Mrs. Prindable’s caramels. For 25 years, Mrs. P. used that caramel to coat scrumptious jumbo apples, with a top layer of chocolate.

We love these apples, great gifts for individuals or families. In addition to the half-inch-thick coating of delectable chocolate and caramel, you get lots of crunchy Granny Smith apple. The combination of indulgent and healthful is a delicious treat.

The extra-fancy apples are crisp, juicy and jumbo: an impressive 4.5 inches tall, 3.5 inches wide and 1.5 pounds. They’re available in eleven flavors* and can be sliced to serve up to 10 people.

If you want a bit less, there are Petite Apples, still sizeable at 3.5 inches tall and half a pound, serving two people. They’re available in seven flavors.

Jumbo apples are $23.99 to $29.99 each, the higher price for apples decorated for the season, which includes a novelty keepsake like the Nutcracker and Champagne bottle in the photos here.

Each apple is hand-dipped in the day’s fresh batch of wonderfully flavorful caramel and chocolate. Depending on the flavor chosen, the apple is then hand-rolled in the finest nuts and toppings.

Order your apples at MrsPrindables.com. They’ll arrive in a couple of days, nicely gift boxed and much nicer to eat.

We’d like Santa to give us an Apple of the Month Program. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but an apple a month will live in memory for a long, long time.

The program is available in six-month and 12-month subscriptions, $169.99 and $399.99, respectively.

Each month, the lucky recipient will receive one of the best-selling flavors.

Are you listening, Santa?
 
 
 
*Choices include dark chocolate caramel apples, mlk chocolate caramel apples and white chocolate caramel apples, with or without nuts—almonds, cashews, pecans or walnuts.

The typical green salad in the photo—lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber and kalamata olives plus vinaigrette, topped with watercress*—works during any season of the year. The only difference is that in the summer, the tomatoes will taste better (cherry tomatoes are a better choice in the off season) and you may have more selection of unusual lettuces.

A crouton, in French, is a piece of toasted bread, similar to the Italian crostini. You can spread it with a fresh cheese—chèvre, feta (mashed into a spread, with a bit of cream or olive oil as needed), fromage blanc, pimento cheese, ricotta or with flavored butter (we love truffle butter). A slice of garlic bread also counts.

If the cheese is plain, you can simply add bits of snipped herbs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
 
*For an alternative spicy/peppery salad vegetable, use arugula, mizuna, mustard greens or radishes, each with peppery, tangy, zesty, piquant flavor.

From our grandmother, we learned the trick of snipping fresh dill and parsley into a green salad. She typically had these herbs on hand for other dishes. Even as a “whatever” teen, we found the flavor lift to be awesome.

Try different herbs until you find your favorite(s). You can add two different herbs to the same salad.

Instead of snipping them on top of the salad, toss them with the other vegetables and the dressing for maximum palate pleasing.
  

Frosty, the ice cream snowman. Photo courtesy Breyers.

What’s for dessert?

This recipe was developed by Breyers, which used its chocolate chip ice cream. You can use coconut, egg nog, vanilla or any other ice cream flavor.

Prep time is 20 minutes, freeze time is 20 minutes,

RECIPE: ICE CREAM SNOWMEN

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Plus:

1. SCOOP the ice cream and quickly roll into 4 medium and 8 small ice cream balls.

2. ROLL the balls in coconut, reserve any remaining coconut. Arrange the balls on a a wax paper-lined baking pan. Cover and freeze 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

3. ASSEMBLE: Stack 1 medium and 2 small ice cream balls on each dessert plate. Insert a candy or wood stick down the center of the snowman to hold the three pieces together.

4. USE mini chocolate chips for the eyes, nose, mouth and buttons (alternatively, cut the nose from orange or red fruit leather). Add candy sticks arms. Top each snowman with kiwi and strawberry hats. Evenly sprinkle the plates with the remaining coconut “snow.” Serve immediately.
 
  

The current limited edition, Limited Batch Herb Infused Olive Oil, is a delight, spiced with sesame seeds and za’atar† (also spelled zahtar), a spice blend that is very popular in Middle Eastern cuisines, including Israeli.

Then there’s the new Farmers Market line, which currently includes:

Harvest Carrot & Ginger, one of Tribe’s new Farmer’s Market flavors. Photo courtesy Tribe.

†Za’atar is actually the Arabic word for Lebanese oregano, a member of the mint family Lamiaceaea, that was known in antiquity as hyssop. The za’atar blend will vary by the blender, but includes dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds and salt. Some blends add coriander, cumin, fennel seed or savory. A Palestinian variation includes caraway seeds. To these spices, the unique components of Lebanese oregano and sumac berries are added. The sumac, ground into a reddish-purple powder that is a popular spice in Middle Eastern cuisine, imparts a tart, fruity flavor that differentiates za’atar from other spice blends.

Tribe’s Harvest Carrot & Ginger Hummus. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

The Harvest Carrot & Ginger Hummus, in particular, has a festive orange hue that looks especially nice for holiday snacking. Served with a platter of crudités, it’s a better-for-you option among the rich holiday fare.

The orange color also fits right in with Halloween and the entire harvest season.

If you’d like to make your own, here’s a reicpe:
RECIPE: CARROT GINGER HUMMUS

Prep time is 5 minutes, cook time is 5 minutes.
 
Ingredients

Preparation
1. PLACE all ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to coarsely chop. Then let food processor run for about 2 minutes until smooth.

2. REMOVE hummus from food processor bowl to serving bowl, using a spatula. Serve with dippers of choice.

 
CARROT TRIVIA

Contrary to popular belief, baby carrots are not grown bite-sized. They are bred long and slender, and then cut into two-inch pieces and lathed to a uniform width.

According to Web MD, carrots do, in fact, help with vision. They are high in vitamin A, a nutrient essential for good vision. Eating carrots provides the small amount of vitamin A needed for good vision. (Vitamin A is also be found in cheese, egg yolks, liver and milk.