Cocoa Latte Maker

I thought I would do another post request.

Can I request a blog post about the aforementioned hot cocoa maker and all the gourmet cocoas you've been making (recipes included)?

This past autumn Josh went on a retreat with some of the executives at work.  They went up to a cabin and spent the weekend there.  He came home totally enamored with the hot chocolate maker that was there.  We LOVE gourmet hot chocolate and will splurge on it at Beans and Brew, Kneaders and Starbucks every so often, but sometimes it makes the stuff we have at home a little flat.

Josh has become the hot chocolate maker at our house.  He went out an bought this Cocoa Latte maker (pictured above) and the hot chocolate making fest began.  We have hot cocoa a lot and on the wonderful snow day last Saturday we just kept the thing full as our family would play in the snow, come in and warm up and then head out again.  It was nice to have the hot cocoa all ready when we were done.  It is like a coffee machine in that it keeps the cocoa hot for when you are ready for it.  We don't ever skimp on the whipped cream topping either...it is a must :)

This little beauty came with a great recipe book of recipes that we love.  One of our favorite things at Starbucks/Beans and Brew (Josh insists that Beans and Brew is better...) is their Salted Caramel hot cocoa or steamer.  We use this Salted Caramel recipe, but have also just added normal caramel ice cream topping before and really liked it. To make a Salted Caramel steamer we just add the caramel to the recipe for a Vanilla Milk Steamer and I would omit the nutmeg (not sure if Josh omits the nutmeg).

Vanilla Milk Steamer
2 cups milk
1 1/4 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp nutmeg (fact-Josh is a nutmeg addict...)

This is the hot cocoa recipe we like

Creamy Cocoa
2 heaping tbsp of Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup half and half
2 cups of milk
whipping cream

Josh usually doesn't follow this recipe exactly.  We don't do the Unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar, He replaces it with Steven's Hot Cocoa mix in heaping TBS to taste. 
All you have to do is put it all in the little Cocoa Latte machine and switch the On button.  Easy peasy