Drink your daily chocolate fix

Next time you reach for a quick chocolate fix in the afternoon, don't bite on a bar — take a smooth, rich sip. Jake Linzinmeir, the owner and executive chef of Chair 8 restaurant in Telluride, Colo. was invited on "Today" to share his unique recipes for specialty chocolate drinks, including Chocolate Purple Haze Bouquet.

Chocolate Purple Haze Bouquet
Serves 3

10 ounces milk chocolate (31 percent cocoa, 18 percent milk)
16 ounces heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup lavender flowers
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon vanilla salt
1/4 cup 'Carma' Moretti (cocoa puffed rice)
2 ounces orange syrup

To eat
Short straws
Small spoon (demi-tasse)

Melt the chocolate over low heat until completely liquid, add cream if necessary to thin chocolate.  Consistency should be slightly thicker than typical hot chocolate. Hold warm.

Pulse cream quickly with lavender and confectioners' sugar.  Do not over-blend as the cream will begin to stiffen.  Pass the cream and lavender through a strainer into the whipped cream dispenser.  Fill charger only two-thirds full.  Charge the dispenser with two or three cartridges as needed and chill upside down.

Set up your side plates, one each for the fennel powder, vanilla salt, orange syrup, and chocolate moretti.

Choose a 2 to 4 ounce cylindrical glass from which you can drink your chocolate.  Dip the rim of the glass in the orange syrup then into the chocolate moretti in order to candy the rim.  Turn the glass upright and layer the bottom of the glass with the chilled lavender cloud.  Gently add the warm chocolate over the cloud but not so much that it penetrates the cloud.   Sprinkle a light blend of the vanilla salt and fennel powder over the chocolate, and serve immediately with both spoon and straw.     

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