Vanilla Hot Chocolate Sunday, Dec 28 2008 

Ingredients
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise
1 1/2 pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

Directions
Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.) Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend. To gift, carefully transfer mix to decorative jars or bags. Add instruction labels for recipents: “For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded (or microwave 2 1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows. Mix keeps airtight at room temperature for up to six months.”

Yields 10 cups of mix (24 to 36 servings).

source: yumsugar

Homemade Kahlua Sunday, Dec 28 2008 

Ingredients
1 750 ml bottle vodka or white rum (I used Stoli)
1 1/4 cups dark rum (Scott recommended Pampero, but I couldn’t find it)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 pound whole coffee beans
1 tablespoon cocoa nib (optional)
1 vanilla bean
Cinnamon stick, slice of Orange peel (optional)

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a sealable container. Shake hard to combine. Label with the date and let sit in a cool, dark place for three weeks. Shake or stir the mixture several times of week. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a clean vessel. Use like you would Kahlua or any other coffee liquor.

Yields one bottle

source: yumsugar