fire escape hot chocolate.

December 9, 2013

fire escape A few weeks ago, James and I clambered out onto my sister’s fifth-floor fire escape and festooned the spindly iron rails with cedar and pine and boxwood in the name of December and the holidays and a hefty dose of weekend work.
fire escape Correction: James clambered out onto the fire escape. I dictated bossy orders from the safety of the apartment. Marriage.
fire escape When all was good and finished, we perched on the fire escape for a romantic cup of hot cocoa.
fire escape Right. Well, here again, it was James who perched on the fire escape. I leaned on the window ledge and pretended like I wasn’t too scared to take my life in my hands and float above the street with nary a care. fire escape But whether or not I actually sat fancy free on the frigid fire escape to enjoy this steaming cup of chocolate is entirely beside the point. The point, clearly, is how to achieve the perfect cup of hot chocolate. And that is something I actually did. Herewith:

Fire Escape Hot Cocoa
What you’ll need:
– cocoa powder (any kind’ll do)
– whole milk
– a vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise but not cut in half
– cinnamon
– grated nutmeg
– turbinado sugar
– ice cream (i used van leeuwen earl grey…)

fire escape How to do it: The amounts that you use should really be left up to you. Keep a wooden spoon or two nearby and stir and sip routinely until the cocoa has reached just the perfect temperature and flavor that you’re looking for. This isn’t science, it’s art. When enough cocoa has been added to the milk that it’s sufficiently dark and chocolatey and when enough spice and sweet has been added to suit your fancy, pour the steaming concoction into your favorite mug and top with a scoop of ice cream and grated nutmeg and giggle at your genius as you sip.

For more on festooning the fire escape see Gardenista.

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30 Comments

  • Reply Rebecca December 9, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    That hot cocoa sounds heavenly!
    And the greenery and lights are just beautiful.
    Don't risk your life on fire escapes, just keep sending out such recipes and images!
    Thank you.

    3
  • Reply Jacquelyn Clark December 9, 2013 at 3:53 pm

    my mouth is officially watering

    2
  • Reply Nina December 9, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Marriage indeed. šŸ™‚

    3
  • Reply lisaathome December 9, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    I've been looking for a hot coca recipe (and a marshmallow one if you have one!) and this one looks fantastic. Can't wait to try!

    2
  • Reply Heather December 9, 2013 at 4:30 pm

    That is one serious cup of hot chocolate. Thanks for the recipe! And your fire escape is darling.

    2
  • Reply Lornas wishing well December 9, 2013 at 5:07 pm

    That hot chocolate sounds so nice! I will be trying the recipe for sure x
    http://www.lornaswishingwell.blogspot.co.uk

    2
  • Reply Pat December 9, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    That sounds so yummy.

    2
  • Reply Daina Ankrum December 9, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    Love this post! We have not decorated out outside windows yet, but we did put up our tree over the weekend. Followed by hot chocolate sitting next to it, of course. Your escape looks beautiful!

    2
  • Reply catie December 9, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    making this!

    2
  • Reply Jenni Haikonen December 9, 2013 at 7:42 pm

    You have got a good husband šŸ™‚ And that cocoa looks so yummy!

    3
  • Reply Amal December 9, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    What a perfect way to enjoy the city in winter. Your fire escape looks perfect!

    3
  • Reply Margaret December 9, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    Ha! I went to high school with Ben Van Leeuwen, so funny that his ice cream keeps popping up! That hot cocoa looks so yummy! Perfect for a snowy day like today!

    2
  • Reply Jay Wen December 9, 2013 at 8:20 pm

    Just a little bit of green and lights can make a fire escape that much cozier.

    3
  • Reply kristin December 9, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    looks like the perfectly festooned perch for cocoa sipping.

    3
  • Reply kari December 10, 2013 at 12:43 am

    Too cute. I love that you made not only a cup of cocoa, but also a memory.

    2
  • Reply Anoushka Unknown December 10, 2013 at 1:20 am

    Lovely post, thanks for sharing a moment of coziness šŸ™‚
    http://Www.sheerdelights.blogspot.ca

    3
  • Reply Jennifer December 10, 2013 at 2:39 am

    Ice cream in hot cocoa. Well that's just genius!

    3
  • Reply Yelle December 10, 2013 at 7:20 am

    delicious hot cocoa! although, the view from the fire place has probably got to be the best part of this cup of cocoa!

    3
  • Reply Lily Connaghan December 10, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    Your blog is like an urban fairytale! Love it so much xxx

    3
  • Reply Danielle E. Alvarez December 10, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    So sweet šŸ™‚

    2
  • Reply Claire December 10, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    I've heard of earl grey hot chocolate, but the thought of adding earl grey ice cream sounds delicious. Where did you get those lovely mugs from?

    As someone else said, that view looks as good as the hot chocolate!

    2
  • Reply Julia Barger December 10, 2013 at 4:07 pm

    A fire escape is the perfect place to sip hot cocoa! (Especially in New York!)

    2
  • Reply Caitlin F. December 10, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    Love the pictures… seems like a lovely, cozy moment.

    2
  • Reply Janelle Kibbe December 10, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    Beautiful pics. And the hot chocolate sounds lovely.

    2
  • Reply Neurotic Workaholic December 11, 2013 at 5:42 am

    Great pictures! And I like the decorations too. I don't usually drink cocoa; I'm the type of person who likes ice cream best when it's freezing cold outside (because then the ice cream won't melt). But your recipe for cocoa sounds really good, so maybe I'll try it!

    2
  • Reply Anonymous December 12, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    a little like something out of a movie filmed in New York..beautiful pictures and post and utterly romantic.

    2
  • Reply molly h December 29, 2013 at 12:36 am

    The decorations look lovely and the hot chocolate looks amazing!

    2
  • Reply james william March 27, 2014 at 10:03 am

    I have found your site to be quite useful. Keep updating your site with in valuable information… Regards

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    2
  • Reply Witherspoon Bergan May 13, 2014 at 8:18 am

    I was amazed to find out that even in one of the most historic cities in the world, where every street was a mix of old and new, there were plenty of travel options for everyone; and the people I met were always willing to help

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    1
  • Reply Mo July 12, 2016 at 9:33 am

    I just stumbled upon this post about and I have to say, this chocolate sounds yummy (have to try it when I’m not melting in the heat), but almost all hot chocolate is even yummier if you forgo the spoon and stir it with a cinnamon stick!

    2
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