President's Day Chocolate Recipes

Happy President's Day! To celebrate here's a couple recipes from first ladies.

Barbara Bush's Chocolate Chip Cookies 3 dozen
1 cup flour sifted
2 tsp flour sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp very hot water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Grease baking sheets with vegetable oil. Sift flour, baking soda and salt on wax paper.Beat butter, sugar and egg in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in hot water and vanilla extract. Gradually beat flour mixture until blended and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonful on baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
Cool completely on wire rack .

Laura Bush's Hot Chocolate 6 servings

6 Tbls unsweetened cocoa
6 Tbls sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups light cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix cocoa, salt, and sugar. Add milk. Heat to dissolve. Add light cream, cinnamon, and vanilla. Heat to just under boiling.
Mix very well and pour into mugs. Garnish with whipped cream (see note), cocoa powder, and fine orange zest, if desired.
Note: Instead of whipped cream, try using the white chocolate mousse to make a topping. Just whip 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tsp sugar until soft peaks form. Melt 4 oz white chocolate in microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Gently stir melted white chocolate into whipped cream. Use a pastry bag to pipe on top of hot chocolate.