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Chocolate to Warm the Soul.

Drinking chocolate is a pleasant habit to cultivate, as each exquisite cup gently shifts fatigue, lifts the spirits, and kindles warm liquid memories of childhood. Savor each sip of the smooth, rich beverage that is at once exotic and familiar, stimulating and comforting. Even if just for the moment, hot chocolate makes the world a better place.

Along with single-malt Scotch, single-origin coffees, and vineyard-designated wines, hot chocolate made from blends of luxurious varietal chocolates now appears on New York City menus along with the other steamed milk drinks, and as a dessert in its own right.

Mariebelle Hot Chocolate
To the ancient Aztecs, hot chocolate was a sacred drink. Inspired by the history of the roasted bean of the tropical cacao tree, Soho chocolatier Mariebelle has created this intense, satisfying drinking chocolate using only the richest Venezuelan dark chocolate, no cocoa powder. Gently boil milk or water over medium-high heat, add MarieBelle's Original Aztec Hot Chocolate, stir, and enjoy. It is divinely decadent and supremely simple. MarieBelle fan Oprah Winfrey says, "This amazing, rich hot chocolate will go fast, but you might want to keep the great vintage-looking box around for a while."

Aztec Hot Chocolate Original.
(Giant 20-ounce Tin)

Price: $24.

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The Hot Chocolate Experience.
Looking for a tempting way to satisfy your passion for hot chocolate? In this gift box, you'll find everything you need to indulge in the ultimate hot chocolate experience: 60 fun recipes in a delightful book, "Hot Chocolate," the most authorative treatise on the seductive liquid; a 10-ounce tin of MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate, ready to mix into a dreamy Nightcap Hot Chocolate; and a CD called "Chocolate Lounge," a sweet concoction of hip and funky lounge grooves from the lands of cacao, with rhythms that will take you to a melting moment of chocolate nirvana.

Hot Chocolate Gift Box.

Price: $29.

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Drink Your Chocolate.
As if we needed another reason to like chocolate, NYC's adult candy shop Chocolate Bar offers chocolate loving lovers a veritable feast to satisfy both eyes and appetite. This ultra-swanky hot chocolate mug is created by famed potter and artist Jonathan Adler exclusively for Chocolate Bar. The perfect compliment to any chocolate occasion (doubles as a fondue pot), each one is a hand-thrown, limited-edition piece that showcases the fusion of Chocolate Bar and Mr. Adler’s signature modern yet whimsical styles, and blends form and function with no fuss. Recommended as an accompaniment to MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate.

Chocolate Bowl.

Price: $35.

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Mexican Chocolate Whisk.
It's handcrafted of turned wood and beautifully detailed with three separate rings and extensive detail. An authentic Old World instrument designed to aid in the frothing of the hot chocolate or cocoa drink. The “molinillo” is rotated between the user’s two hands placed palm-sides together. A twisting motion froths the chocolate. (13-inches tall)

Wooden Molinillo.

Price: $18.

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A Chip Off the Old Block.
High quality chocolate comes in large, thick blocks that need to be broken into smaller pieces. Chopping the chocolate with a butcher's knife is tedious work, and you're left with shavings and large chunks. The solution is a sturdy kitchen tool which boasts six heavy chrome-plated steel tines set into a hardwood handle. Place the chocolate block on a cutting board and push the prongs into it. You'll produce smaller pieces that you can melt into milk for a perfect hot chocolate, or fold into a cake or cookie batter.

Chocolate Chipper.

Price: $12.

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Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate.
A secret-recipe, icy-chocolate confection served in an enormous fishbowl-shaped goblet, garnished with a mound of fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate is the stuff that dreams are made of. This frosty, velvety-smooth creation is made from no fewer than 14 kinds of chocolate and exotic cocoas, ground into a rich slush. New York’s Serendipity 3 makes the legendary treat available in an outrageous gift box -- perfect for chocolate connoisseurs of all ages. It includes everything you need to re-create the sinfully delicious Frozen Hot Chocolate at home.

Celebrity Gift Box.

Price: $28.

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Come to the Cocoa Casbah.
Here's your chance to slip off to a sand dune and kick up a little dust. New York City artisanal chocolate workshop, Chocolat Moderne, produces a signature blend of dark chocolate (cocoa content in excess of 70%), with a welcome restraint in adding sugar. All you need to add is very hot water or cream to taste. Since it is made with real chocolate, please stir carefully until all the chocolate has been transformed into a silky smooth and rich elixir. (13-ounce tin).

Chocolat Moderne "Midnight Oasis."

Price: $16.

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Cuckoo for Cocoa.
It's the Upper West Side's de facto brunch spot, as herds of Sunday Times-toting residents shepherd their young into the rustic room for omelets, porridge and creamy-smooth hot chocolate. This all-natural mix, served at Sarabeth's for 20 years, contains the finest Belgian Chocolate, Dutch Cocoa and pure white cane sugar. Just add hot milk, stir to melt the chocolate and top with freshly-whipped cream to conjure up the wonderful taste and aroma of a winter brunch at Sarabeth's. (Makes eight 10-ounce servings).

Sarabeth's Hot Chocolate "Angeline."

Price: $16.

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