Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Don't Buy It, DIY It!

Cooler weather has come...and that brings with it warm toasty mittens...thick wool socks and curling up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate to warm you up!

What better to warm you up than homemade spicy hot chocolate, passed down through the ages from the Mayans!

Sure, you could go to Whole Foods and pick up a pre-made mixture of Spicy Hot Cocoa...but is that really all that fun?  The time it takes to make your own hot chocolate pays for itself in tenfold as soon as you take your first delicious sip. 

So Don't Buy it, DIY It!

Spicy Hot Cocoa 2 Ways:

Spicy Hot Chocolate with Bittersweet Cocoa and Allspice:
1/2 cup finely ground or grated bittersweet chocolate  
1 cup soy milk (or you can use regular milk if you aren't vegan, but shhhh)
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch cardamom
Cinnamon stick, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and milk, add the cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Garnish with a cinnamon stick if you wanna get all fancy like.  
~or~
Spicy Hot Chocolate with Bittersweet Cocoa and Allspice:
2 red chiles, crushed  
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
4 cups soy milk (again, shhhh)

In a medium saucepan, heat the soy milk over low heat.  Add the chiles and steep for 10 minutes.  Strain the milk and discard the chiles.  Place flavored milk back into saucepan over low.  Add the vanilla extract and then slowly pour in the chocolate chips and stir until melted. 

Pour into mugs and enjoy!

Happy Lounging!
xoh!
d

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