Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to
Editor’s Note: This story was published in 2022 and updated in 2024. I’m dreaming of hot chocolate. The rich and creamy flavor, the whipped cream dotting my nose, the warmth
Editor’s Note: This story was published in 2022 and updated in 2024. I’m dreaming of hot chocolate. The rich and creamy flavor, the whipped cream dotting my nose, the warmth
Nothing conjures memories of winters past like a sweet cup of hot chocolate. As temperatures dip, restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses whip up their favorite recipes for Elizabeth City’s annual Hot Cocoa Crawl.
Editor’s Note: This story was published in 2022 and updated in 2024.
I’m dreaming of hot chocolate. The rich and creamy flavor, the whipped cream dotting my nose, the warmth of the mug in my hands. I’m walking the streets of downtown Elizabeth City, bundled up in a hat, gloves, scarf, and boots. A brisk wind whips off the Pasquotank River a few blocks away and gains strength as it blows between the historic brick buildings on either side of me. My cheeks are numb. My eyes begin to water. But, oh, how good that first sip will taste. How sweet. How warm.
Elizabeth City is hosting its second annual Hot Cocoa Crawl this winter. Restaurants, cafés, shops, and inns have all come up with a variety of cocoa creations for the occasion. Some will serve classic hot chocolate. Others will mix in flavored syrups and sprinkles of candy. A handful will add splashes of liquor. All of the drinks on the menu will be made with care and consideration — so unlike the hot chocolate of my youth.
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As a kid, making hot chocolate was always a hurried affair. I would scurry inside the house after a long day at school, my arms making a swish, swish, swish sound as they rubbed against the puffy polyester of my down jacket. I’d rip open a box of Swiss Miss, grab a packet of instant cocoa mix, and give it a shake to push the powder to the bottom. A fruitless gesture. When I opened the packet, brown powder still got everywhere, much to my mother’s chagrin. After dumping the cocoa and freeze-dried marshmallows into a mug of steaming water, I’d give it a stir. Powdery clumps of cocoa invariably rose to the surface, so I would stir it a few more times. Still clumpy? Eh, good enough.
The first sip almost always burned the roof of my mouth. The second was cooler and slightly bitter. But it was perfect. Well, actually, it was watered down — with bits of undissolved Swiss Miss crunching between my teeth as I sipped — but the moment that I had created was perfect.
Enjoy hot cocoa on the boardwalk. photograph by Baxter Miller
As I walk to the first stop on the Cocoa Crawl, I smile thinking of the younger me, completely content to drink hot chocolate made with tap water. Because even then, I knew that drinking hot chocolate was about making a memory. A time to pause and appreciate the stillness. To enjoy the middle of winter, when holiday decorations have been packed away, tree limbs are bare, and life seems to have slowed down. To sip and savor something that’s simple to make — whether you’re using water or milk. To sit suspended in that time before the grass turns green again and the world buzzes back to life. I think that’s why, as a child, I breezed through the process of making hot cocoa so quickly. I wanted to live in that moment.
Stepping inside Muddy Waters Coffeehouse on West Main Street, the scent of coffee and baked goods hits me. Ah, yes, finally … warmth. I’d better get started. I’ve got a full day of hot chocolate tasting ahead of me, which means that I’ll have plenty of time to ponder how much better cocoa is when it’s made with care.
At Muddy Waters Coffeehouse you can relax with your hot chocolate at a table next to a mural painted by local artist Holly Cole Luke. photograph by Baxter Miller
S’mores Hot Cocoa Muddy Waters Coffeehouse
Curl up on one of the coffeehouse’s couches or armchairs and take your time drinking this creamy cup: It’s served in a mug so large that it’s essentially a bowl with a handle.
Hot chocolate from The SweetEasy pairs well with the bakery’s pistachio, birthday cake, and lavender macarons. photograph by Baxter Miller
Assorted flavors The SweetEasy
This French café-themed bakery is keeping its hot chocolate offerings sweet and simple for the Cocoa Crawl: Classic hot chocolate with marshmallows, peppermint hot chocolate with candy canes, and white hot chocolate. Part of owner Casey Heard’s philosophy is to offer a wide range of drinks and other goodies, including cannoli and macarons.
For a more potent brew, try Ghost Harbor’s Chocolate Porter. photograph by Baxter Miller
Chocolate Porter Ghost Harbor Brewing Company
This porter looks striking: dark as night in a chilled Belgian beer glass. Bring it close, and hints of chocolate and coffee emanate from its caramel-colored foam.
Almost everything at Paradiso Roma Ristorante is made from scratch — even the hot cocoa. Try it with a shot of bourbon. photograph by Baxter Miller
Weldon’s Charm PROOF, formerly Paradiso Roma Ristorante
Cozy up with a mug of hot cocoa and a view of the Pasquotank River at this waterside Italian restaurant. For a mug of Weldon’s Charm, a rich cocoa bomb is paired with a splash of bourbon to give this toasty drink some added oomph.
Wine and chocolate make for a classic pairing, but at 2 Souls Wine Bar, a third component is necessary to whip up this hot and chocolaty red wine beverage. The Mr. Coffee-brand Cocomotion that sits prominently on the counter is what co-owner Mel Martine uses to gently mix and heat a blend of chocolate milk and red wine. (Don’t worry: It tastes better than it sounds.) Martine borrowed her kids’ cocoa-making machine to devise a drink that tastes like a warm cherry cordial. Making beverages with booze isn’t exactly in the Cocomotion’s job description, though, so Martine is careful not to overwork the mixer.
When it comes to matches made in the kitchen, North Carolinians believe in soulmates. From breakfast to dessert, dig into a few of our favorite pairings.
In Edgecombe County, the country’s second-oldest remaining town common is the gateway to its sprawling historic district. Travel these acres and blocks on a reflective trip through time.