CACAO RECIPES

Ever wonder how the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica took their chocolate?  Certainly not in bar form... the chocolate bar wasn't invented until 1847 in Europe. And it wasn't sweet, either—instead of sugar they mixed in chillies, allspice, vanilla, and honey. The world's first energy bar was a cake of cornmeal, cacao and herbs that Mesoamerican warriors carried with them on long journeys.

Fast forward a few centuries, and the heady stuff is everywhere. Personally, I put chocolate on anything and everything I possibly can. Grated on my breakfast oatmeal, melted in between pancakes, crumbled into yogurt, even fondued (is that a word?) over dried apricots, fresh apples and strawberries, and—wait for it—fire-roasted marshmallows. Oh yes.

And because we're big on sharing, we reached out to our friends and partners and asked them to send in their favorite chocolate recipes. Whether you like your chocolate sweet or spicy, liquid hot, chilled solid or moussed somewhere in between, these recipes will make you stop what you're doing and head for your pantry—or your nearest chocolate shop.