The holidays are quickly approaching which means a forecast for cold and blustery weather. There’s nothing like enjoying a hot beverage after coming inside following a day of skiing, snowboarding or tobogganing. Enjoy one of these herb and spice infused drinks to help warm up during the holiday season.
Hot Chocolate with Allspice and Cinnamon Recipe
This recipe makes 4 servings and is a nice and spicy change from regular hot chocolate.
Ingredients for the Hot Chocolate:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- ¼ cup mini marshmallows
- 4 cinnamon sticks
Directions for the Hot Chocolate:
- In a medium sauce pan whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, allspice and cinnamon.
- Slowly whisk in the water until a smooth paste is formed.
- Place the pan on the stove over medium low heat.
- Gradually whisk in the milk.
- Simmer until well heated while whisking occasionally being careful not to scald the milk.
- Pour into small mugs and top with mini marshmallows and garnish with a cinnamon stick prior to serving.
Spiced Coffee with Cinnamon and Cardamom Recipe
This recipe makes 4 servings. Cardamom seed pods can be found on the spice isle of most grocery and health food stores. Be sure to purchase light green colored pods as the light beige ones have been chemically treated to remove the natural green coloring. To use cardamom place a few pods on a wooden cutting board and lightly crush the pods with a rolling pin or the smooth side of a meat mallet. Then remove the small dark brown seeds from the pod to use in this recipe.
Ingredients for the Spiced Coffee:
- 6 tablespoons ground coffee beans
- 1/2 cinnamon stick - broken into pieces
- seeds from 4 cardamom pods
- 6 cups water
- heavy cream
- sugar
Directions for the Spiced Coffee:
- Place a filter in the basket of the coffee maker.
- Place the coffee, cinnamon stick and cardamom seeds into the basket.
- Brew the coffee as normal using 6 cups of water.
- Pour the prepared coffee into large mugs.
- Serve the spiced coffee along with plenty of cream and sugar.
Peppermint Mocha Recipe
This recipe makes 4 Servings. If a descision can’t be made between making coffee or hot chocolate, choose this recipe instead. This drink combines the two with a bit of peppermint thrown in for extra flavor.
Ingredients for the Peppermint Mocha:
- 4 cups freshly brewed strong coffee
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups milk or half-and-half
- 4 Peppermint candy canes
- Whipped cream (optional)
Directions for the Peppermint Mocha:
- While the coffee is brewing, make the mocha portion of this drink.
- Add the cocoa powder and sugar to a medium sauce pan and whisk until blended together.
- Add the water and whisk until a smooth paste is formed.
- Stir in the peppermint extract.
- Place the pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium low.
- Slowly add the milk and continuously whisk the mixture until the sugar thoroughly dissolves.
- When the coffee is ready pour it into the sauce pan along with the chocolate milk mixture and stir well.
- Carefully Pour the finished drink into large mugs and garnish with a candy cane.
- Top with whipped cream if desired.
Additional Resources
A wonderful dessert to serve along with these holiday beverages is gingerbread. See the article Triple Gingerbread Recipe for a cake-type variation of this classic holiday treat. The recipe for a crispy ginger flavored cookie can be found in the article Gingersnap Cookies.
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