Take yourself back to childhood for a moment and think about how exciting it was — a true treat! — to get a handful of marshmallows on top of your hot chocolate. Really appreciate that for a second, because after reading what we're about to share with you, you'll never be satisfied by a few measly sugar puffs again.
We'll wait.
You good?
Let's continue, then: Meet Brownstone Pancake Factory's loaded hot chocolate. It's the Edgewater, NJ, restaurant's cold weather answer to a freakshake — a drink so extra, you can't see what's underneath all of the toppings until you eat, sip, and pick your way down there. In this case, you'll find a good 'ol cup of hot cocoa made the old-fashioned way, with steamed milk and Hershey's chocolate syrup.
The outside isn't as basic, though. First, baristas coat the mug with chocolate frosting and roll it in a pan of ground granola with sprinkles. The hot chocolate goes in next, and it's topped with an entire slice of chocolate fudge cake, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Like a lot of the creators of today's over-the-top drinks, Brownstone's owner Bobby Bournias was inspired by Black Tap's insane milkshakes. "We started getting creative and making our own," he says. "Then winter came, and we tried to think of what else we could do." Now, the hot chocolate's one of the stars of Bobby's menu, and he sometimes fields close to 40 orders of the monster drink during one brunch service.
You'll want to eat and drink everything fast — sooner or later, gravity catches up to the hot chocolate and the cake comes tumbling into the cup. But if you're anything like us, you'll lap it up before that has a chance of happening.
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