As the wintery months roll in, you may feel like curling up with a cup of something soothing. Here are some hot drink recipes that are perfect for warming you from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Stay warm out there. Even though it was in the 70s last week doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way.
1. Mulled Cranberry Cider – A beautiful fruity and spicy drink that tastes excellent warmed.
8 cups of cranberry juice
8 cups of apple cider
2-4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
Allspice (a pinch)
8 whole cloves
Slices of orange
Head over to theinspiredroom.net, for the rest of the instructions.
2. Gingerbread Café au Lait – Take your coffee to the next level with the festive twist of gingerbread.
Serves 4
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced very thinly
1 stick cinnamon
5 whole allspice berries
5 whole black peppercorns
½ cup skim milk
½ pint heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
4 cups strong coffee
¼ cup bourbon (Optional)
Additional sugar for serving
For preparation instructions, continue reading at healthy-delicious.com.
3. Eggnog Latte – If you love eggnog as much as I do, the thought of an eggnog latte definitely excites you.
Serves 2
1 cup of strong hot fresh coffee
⅔ cup eggnog
¼ cup cream (half & half, if you prefer)
⅛ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
sugar (optional)
whipped cream
Further instructions can be found at aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com.
4. Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate – Enjoy hot chocolate in a healthy way, with the most natural ingredients.
Serves 2
2 cups non-dairy milk (1/2 full fat coconut milk and 1/2 vanilla almond milk makes a good combination)
3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder, or more for intense chocolate flavor
2-3 tablespoons sugar or agave (or honey if not vegan)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and cayenne (cayenne optional)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream (to go along with your hot chocolate, of course)
1/2 can full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Head over to minimalistbaker.com for further instructions on how to make this delectable, totally vegan drink.
5. White Hot Chocolate – Tired of the regular chocolate hot chocolate? Switch it up with white chocolate.
Serves 4
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces of white chocolate chips
Instructions can be found on thenymelrosefamily.com.
6. Red Velvet Hot Chocolate – And if you’re tired of the white hot chocolate, there’s always the red velvet you can turn to.
Serves 5
4 cups whole milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
10 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopping
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Whipped Cream
½ cup heavy whipped cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Further directions can be found at mccormick.com.
7. Minty Hot Cocoa Float – The simple task of adding mint ice cream can make any hot chocolate into a new experience.
Serves 1
1 serving hot cocoa mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/4 cup mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 sprig fresh mint
Make a normal cup of you favorite brand of hot chocolate and top it off with a scoop of mint ice cream and a sprig of fresh mint for garnish! Found on realsimple.com.
8. Warm Hazelnut Toddy – Only for those of you who are of age!
Serves 1
3 tablespoons Frangelico
½ cup hot water
2 tablespoons lightly whipped heavy cream
Combine Frangelico and hot water and stir. Add a dollop of whipped cream in top. Found one realsimple.com.